This week I interview painter Noah Saterstrom about his art practice, the creative process, the role of galleries, social media's impact, and more. I also shared my experience living in Argentina and the challenges artists face here with inflation and difficulty getting materials and shipping paintings outside of the country.
Here's what we talked about:
- Antrese appreciates having a large studio space in Argentina that allows more freedom compared to previous cramped spaces (0:48)
- The high inflation rate in Argentina (over 200% ) makes it very difficult for local artists to afford supplies and sell work (4:20)
- Noah values being part of a community of poets and writers, which impacted his view of the art market vs. creative process (18:45)
- Galleries serve a role but shouldn't be gatekeepers - artists need autonomy for their creative evolution (22:10)
- Social media like Instagram allows artists to share the full creative process publicly and connect directly with collectors (26:41)
- The Artist Support Pledge during the pandemic let Noah sell studies/works-in-progress for $200 each to a global audience (1:07:08)
- This provided sustainable income, exposed the large interest in collecting paintings, and built connections with supporters (1:12:17)
- Noah's ambitious 122-foot painting about his great-grandfather stemmed from studies made during this time (1:05:10)
- Artists shouldn't feel bound by the "starving artist" myth or assumptions about being "inarticulate" (1:30:34)
Noah Saterstrom Paintings:
I enjoyed your conversation with Noah so much! It really touched on a number of things that have been on my mind lately. I loved the peaches/oysters analogy. I’ve been a representational painter for years but from time to time I get what I call the “call of the wild” and turn to pure abstraction. It has been hard to know what to think of my need to pursue both, but now I feel more relaxed about my own “oxbow lake” pursuits.
Yes! The peaches/oysters analogy was so good! Those oxbow lake pursuits are everything – thanks so much for listening Sheila!
Nice to hear your story, Stella. Thank you. Noah is an old friend and I’ve loved watching his imagery morph and return in the last 30 years. Life is full of recurring themes.