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A focus on the process: Behind the scenes with studio art students

A WSN photographer captures the creative process of Steinhardt studio art students.

Yuna Baek, Contributing Photographer

November 21, 2022

NYU Steinhardt’s studio art program consists of painters, sculptors, printmakers, textile artists — you name it. The program allows students to explore all forms and media. Each artist in the program has a distinct art practice and style. Here is a look into some of their processes.

Ceramicist: Darinka Arones

  • Photograph of a female college student with brown hair tied into a bun wearing a pink blazer over a white top and pearl earrings. She is at a table molding a ball of clay.
  • Photograph of a female college student with brown hair tied into a bun wearing a pink blazer over a white top and pearl earrings. She is rinsing a bowl in a sink.
  • Photograph of a female college student with brown hair tied into a bun wearing a black cap, pink blazer over a white top and pearl earrings. She is kneeling on the floor facing shelves with art supplies in them.
  • Photograph of a set of hands molding a piece of clay on a table. The table also has various ceramics paraphernalia scattered around.
  • Photograph of a set of hands molding a piece of clay on a table with a sharp clay cutting too. The table also has various ceramics paraphernalia scattered around.

Darinka Arones creates a minimal and abstract sculpture with clay. After flattening out a piece of clay with a rolling pin, Arones outlines organic shapes using a needle tool, and then shapes a wavelike form using her hand. She designs her work to be viewed from all angles and perspectives.  

 “I have learned that a project idea won’t always end up looking as expected, but that’s completely fine — that’s the beauty of making art.”

Crocheter: Becca Panos

  • Becca Panes wears a neon green knitted sweater. Becca holds a metallic crochet hook and pink yarns.
  • Becca Panes wears a neon green knitted sweater. Becca holds a metallic crochet hook and pink yarns.
  • Becca Panes wears a neon green knitted sweater. Becca holds a metallic crochet hook and pink yarns.
  • Becca Panes wears a neon green knitted sweater. Becca holds a metallic crochet hook and pink yarns.

Becca Panos’ works revolve around themes of personal memory and experiences. For Panos, it is important to show how present her hands are in her crochet pieces. She learned to crochet from her grandmother. By using a crochet hook and a spool of pink yarn, Panos creates a blanket, which she will later embroider with text to represent a diary. 

“Slow down. It’s supposed to be enjoyable — you don’t have to get it done super fast.”

Painter: Keydi Alvarez

  • Keydi Alvarez, wearing a dark brown hoodie, holds a piece of painting. The painting depicts an illustration of a face in dark red. Behind Keydi is a desk with a dark gray drawer at the bottom. On the table are holder for paints and brushes and a brown tote bag.
  • Keydi Alvarez pulls out a small-sized brush from a glass filled with an assortment of brushes on the table.
  • Keydi Alvarez holding a palette filled with dark red paints on the canvas.

Keydi Alvarez’s painting is mostly inspired by her heritage. Before she begins her work, she sets up her desk with a cup of water, different brush sets and various paints. She spends her free time painting on canvases in her studio on campus. In this piece, Alvarez uses acrylic paint to portray exaggerated facial features.

“Continue and do what you want to do. Do art, regardless of something serious.”

Plasterer: Sarah Gelleny

  • Sarah Gelleny wears a black mask, black t-shirt and a black apron. Sarah holds a bottle of black spray paint and sprays the paint onto a white mold on a wooden table.
  • A right hand wearing rings and a white watch and a left hand holding a piece of gray sandpaper scrubs.
  • Sarah Gelleny wearing a black t-shirt uses a black plier to shape metal wires within a white mold.
  • A hand wearing a white watch holds a bottle of black spray paint and sprays the paint onto a black bowl.
  • A pair of hands apply a plastic sheet onto a black bowl.

Sarah Gelleny uses plaster to create a vessel that is part of a floral arrangement. After removing chicken wire that once held her sculpture in place, she sands the surface to then cover with a plastic wrap. Her practice explores nature and life cycles through the harmony of organic and found materials. Gelleny also enjoys working with clay, metal and wood.

“I’ve learned that it’s great to have an idea and a place to start, but it’s OK to let that change or look different.”

Printmaker: Simone Hunter

  • A pair of hands wearing black gloves dip a brush into a can of dark blue paint.
  • Simone Hunter wearing white work suit and black gloves holds a roller covered in dark blue paint over a white piece of paper.
  • Simone Hunter wearing a white work suit draws on a paper covered in dark blue paint with red paint.
  • Simone Hunter wearing a white work suit handles a press. The press is in gray with black text that reads “Press 1” on it.
  • Simone Hunter wearing a white work suit holds up a piece of print.

Simone Hunter creates a monoprint with red and blue inks in the printmaking studio. Printmaking allows her to work with different layers and recreate a variety of prints by changing elements within the design. Her practice highlights Blackness and Black identity, while prompting viewers to reflect on their stance within society.

“Keep trying and keep doing new things. It’s OK to fail because you can just make another print. I’m just not wanting to try to be perfect all the time. But working on accepting failure and that failure maybe isn’t a failure.”

Photographer: Natalie Osmond

  • Photograph of a female college student with braided blond hair wearing a white t-shirt, a black skirt, maroon leggings, and gold bracelets. She kneels on a stool holding a DSLR camera up to her face pointing it.
  • Photograph of two female college students inside a classroom. On the left, a female college student with braided blond hair wearing a white t-shirt, a black skirt, maroon leggings, and gold bracelets stands facing the other girl. The girl on the right is sitting down in a chair and has red braided hair and wears a white T-shirt, and fluffy white skirt.
  • Photograph of a female college student with braided blond hair wearing a white t-shirt, a black skirt, maroon leggings, and gold bracelets. She is propping a light stand on top of a table.
  • Photograph of a female college student with braided blond hair wearing a white t-shirt, a black skirt, maroon leggings, and gold bracelets holding a DSLR camera taking a photo of a girl laying on the ground in front of a black backdrop wearing a short blue wig, white crop top, white fluffy skirt, holding red string in her hands.
  • Photograph of two female college students sitting in a classroom facing each other. The girl on the right has braided blond hair and is wearing a white t-shirt, a black skirt, maroon leggings, and gold bracelets. She is holding her phone up showing the screen to the other girl. The other girl on the left has her back to the camera and has red hair and wears a white crop top and a short blue wig.

Natalie Osmond photographs her friends in the Barney Building’s photo studio. With her friend as the model, she aims to recreate a recurring childhood dream. Photographing in the dark with a spotlight setup, she guides her friend to pose by interacting with a red string. She will ultimately display her photographs in large prints on a white wall.

“Shoot all the time. Improve technical skills and experiment by niche.”

Developed for web by Ryan Rogers and Samson Tu

Contact Yuna Baek at [email protected].

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