Our studio Sunday feature this week is Ida Applebroog. Applebroog is a New York-based artist who is best known for paintings, though she has also created sculpture and a number of films over the course of her decade-spanning career. Having originally worked as a graphic designer in the 1950’s Applebroog turned to feminist, political art partly as a way of expressing her dissatisfaction with normalized workplace sexism.

Applebroog looks very studious in this photograph – I find it interesting the way that the artist is working with her work apparently taped to the wall – she’s leaning into it, looking very closely as if painting some small detail. Though Applebroog is 87 years old as of this writing she still appears sharp and capable.

It’s neat to look at the artworks pictured on the wall opposite the artist – I wonder if these are finished pieces or works that the artist is creating simultaneously. The photo doesn’t give away too much in terms of the overall scale of the studio space. There isn’t much on the floor – a roll of paper towel, and some printed-out images possibly being used for reference.

It looks like Applebroog has a small table of supplies sitting next to her – the better to be able to paint continuously for hours. The studio is also bathed in a pleasantly warm light – it doesn’t look natural, but it’s possible that it’s simply nighttime and the artist is working by lamplight.

Ida Applebroog’s works have been collected by a number of museums and institutions including MoMA and the Denver Art Museum. She has been awarded several times for her artistic achievements, and was granted an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts by Parson’s School of Design in New York. 

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