The Studio
The Studio is large and open plan. Together with the residency rooms, it occupies all of the second floor double-height attic of the house. Please note that the studio is located at the top of the house, with three flights of stairs and there is no wheelchair access. For that reason we unfortunately can't accommodate wheelchair users. If you have other access needs, please do email us to discuss your requirements.
The studio is used daily by Nina Rodin but as it's T-shaped there is in effect a corner for each of the artists using it at any one time. There is a large amount of storage so that the floor can remain relatively uncluttered. There are a number of tables that can be assembled or put away as needed.
There are now two 4m long walls on casters which can be used both as room dividers and/or to paint on. The studio is lit by the equivalent of 2600W of low-energy daylight neon tubes so that it should be possible to keep working at night. There are now also two lights (one 500W and one 1000W) with tripods for photography or other specific lighting demands.
The Wifi has recently been upgraded (Nov 2024) to Fibre Optic broadband, there is good signal throughout the house. There are some areas that miss the signal due to wall thickness but there are plenty of areas with very good signal so that you are able to send large files, make video calls etc.
The floor is spill proof and grey. If artists wish to make a mess, there is additional grey floor paint and white wall paint with which to cover their worst at the end of the residency. Artists are responsible for leaving the studio exactly as they found it and for painting over even minor spills. Otherwise, the mess quickly builds up.
The studio is electrically heated and warm even in winter. There is also a functional wood burning stove to cosy up around after a long day's work. If you are attending during the winter months we recommend bringing extra jumpers and any warm clothing you think you'll need - whilst there is heating you can't wear just a t-shirt during this time. We do have additional hot water bottles, free standing heaters and blankets if you feel the cold, or it gets particularly cold.
All the furniture in the studio (including an old modular sofa) is easily moved around so that the studio can also be used for exhibitions or events. Equally this allows artists to build a working environment that suits their needs of the moment.
Because the studio has all these corners, it's quite hard to photograph. Here are some snapshots of parts of it.
A small corner of the studio next to the Jura room.
The corner with the printer and digital cutter leading
to a storage space. Nina's desk near the kitchen.
On the right is a part of the mobile wall screening
the studio from the kitchen.
A resident working at the 3m long adjustable desk.
A resident in the south east corner of the studio
which has been divided in two by the mobile wall at a
time when both residents wished to work near a window.
An old photo of the studio (before the floor was painted).
The wood-burning stove which is effectively exactly
in the middle of the studio can be seen on the left.
The south-west corner of the studio now has a
fixed vertical wall straight under the window. This is where
I have been working for more than a year but perhaps I should move?
The sofa, here shown near the flowery stove.
But it often goes walkabouts, sometimes one unit at a time.
But it often goes walkabouts, sometimes one unit at a time.
Note that these photos were taken at the beginning of the residency. There is a bit more furniture now but everything remains mobile so there is still the possibility of clearing a lot of floor space if that is what you need for your projects.
Digital facilities
There is a small, simple but functional B&W laser printer for printing boarding passes or small text documents. Apart from that there is only a large format Epson printer (1100mm wide rolls) but to print from that you will either need experience in printing yourself or to pay for the time of my assistant to print things for you, as well as a small contribution to paper and ink. But there is an excellent print shop in Nyon at the La Combe shopping center that has a very fast service.
The residency also has a Black Cat craft cutter which can cut paper (the less fibrous variety works best), thin card and vinyls from an adobe illustrator or other vector file, precisely and to almost any shape. Again, you are very welcome to experiment. The running costs are blades and cutting pads but that only becomes relevant if you use it for several hours.
There is small A5 wacom tablet, which is 10 years old now but still very nice to use.
I use photography a lot in my own practice and have started to experiment with filming and editing. I have two Nikon bodies and a number of Nikon lenses: wide angle, zoom and macro lenses. There is a remote control for the cameras, an external flash with a flash arm and also a basic but tall and versatile Manfrotto tripod which can be set at 90 degrees, with a basic but steady head. There is also a grip for the tripod head which makes it possible to fix a camera to the rafters. I am quite precious about this equipment as you can imagine and prefer if it is used indoors for documentation purposes. In any case, you have to ask me before you use it.
Books, screens and other interests
I am very interested in artists books and I have made some books in the past. I have some tools and materials for that purpose. If you are interested in using the residency for learning about or developing artist's books, please let me know. There is a Louet vertical plough for trimming the book edge.
We also have a screen printing set up but you need to tell us in advance if you want to use it so we can make sure we are on hand to help you set it up.
I can't stress enough that I am always very interested in learning about and experimenting with new techniques so if you have a specialty you wish to bring to Trélex, I am open to acquiring new equipment in exchange for lessons in how to use it.
Tools:
- a large, old-fashionned but wonderfully sturdy overhead projector- AEG router
- basic jigsaw and handheld electric sander
- a power drill with hammer mode and a cordless makita drill and screwdriver set with a full box of bits and drills, countersink etc...
- nailgun, glueguns
- and a new Bernina which I have never used yet.
- a guillotine and a rotary cutter (A3 max)
- three-legged sturdy fold-away easel, a number of glass sheets for palettes,
- a toolbox of basic household tools and a large variety of fixings
- rulers and cutting mats, measuring tapes
- canvas pliers and staple guns
- and more: if there is tool that is critical to your practice which you dont see here then please email us.
Materials:
There are quite a lot of materials and tools in the studio, including quite a few things left behind by previous artist. This should be seen chiefly as a source of experimentation as you can't rely on finding the materials you will need. Best to bring the things you really can't do without or send us an email with a list of things you need and we can tell you what we have. Also make sure to leave enough space in your suitcase for finished work on the way back.
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