Today’s Studio Sunday feature is Margaret Lee. Lee is an artist, writer, and gallerist based in New York. In her artistic practice, Lee is known for installation and sculptural works that use common, everyday objects and aesthetics, combining them in novel ways to create a new visual language.

Look at all the bizarre and interesting objects in Lee’s studio! I really like that pumpkin that’s under her desk, on a plinth and reproduced in possible plaster or some other material. Given the artist’s affinity for everyday objects, including appliances, furniture, and even vegetables, the pumpkin seems right at home here.

I find this an interesting placement for a desk – I would imagine that there’s a window somewhere in this studio space, and maybe the desk is positioned to soak up as much natural light as possible.

I also enjoy the many images pasted to the wall above the desk – I wonder if these are inspiration, reference images, or sketches and studies for completed and upcoming works.

Because Lee also writes and runs an artist-run gallery, it’s likely that her studio space also functions as an office of some fashion. I think it would be inspiring to have a combined workspace like this – particularly if the writing and organization work that Lee does is directly related to artwork, it seems like it would really help to get the creative juices flowing to do that work in a creative space.

Margaret Lee’s works have been exhibited in the United States and abroad, and her writings have appeared in art publications including Artforum, Frieze, and Art in America. She founded the artist-run space 179 Canal in 2009 and is also a partner in the nearby gallery 47 Canal.

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