Open Studios with Lotta Jansdotter: Twenty-Four Artists' Spaces

by Lotta Jansdotter

Internationally acclaimed designer Lotta Jansdotter reinvents the craft book and reinforces her global appeal with this rare glimpse into the studios of accomplished artists, crafters, and designers around the world. Open Studios takes us on a tour through Lotta's favorite Brooklyn, New York, where she lives; Stockholm, where she grew up; and Tokyo, where she has traveled extensively. Hundreds of color photographs showcase each artist's studio while personal interviews reveal how they organize their supplies, use their space, and?most importantly?where they find inspiration. The featured makers include graphic designers, photographers, ceramic artists, printers, and more?each offering a unique perspective on how to shape, decorate, and organize (or not!)a creative space.

Genres: Nonfiction, Crafts, Art

204 pages, Paperback

First published March 9, 2011

Reviews

[Hol]

I picked this up in the Free Book Room because I hoped to find ideas for storing art supplies. Mysteriously, however, the artists featured in this book seem to have their stuff so well tucked away that I have no clue how it might be organized. But I did learn that it is a lovely thing to be an artist in Sweden, where the government views design as a key export and will invest generously in your creative work, while in New York it helps to have a trust fund.

[Ashley Maden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this little gem at Dollar Tree and was surprised as it is a wonderful book filled with wisdom and inspiration from 24 artists around the globe and the perspective from the author as she journeys to each of their spaces and works to capture each studio's unique aspects.

I was so surprised at how plain and small some of the spaces were, especially for people who run successful creative businesses. This was just a reminder of how we don't have to be perfect and organized and have all the answers to start and be successful at a creative business endeavor, we just have to have the willingness to put our work out into the world in a way that reaches people and find a system/workflow that works.

I couldn't give this five stars because the photos in the book are laid out in a way that they all run together and it can be a challenge to figure out where one starts and another stops, and I struggled to pair the captions with the photos the way they were listed, it would have made more sense to give each photo a little breathing room and include the caption near its respective photo. Also the lettering cover pages to each studio were a bit of a challenge to read, but the typed names are included on the pages that follow so these nuances are just minor design preferences.

Overall it's a great piece and I appreciate the work and collaboration put into bringing it to life and feel grateful to have had a peek at so many different Artist spaces as it definitely inspired me to think about my own as it continually evolves based on my art forms, projects and supplies.

I would recommend this to anyone who makes art and needs some inspiration for their space, or wants a window into the lives, thought processes and story of other creatives around the world.

[sleeps9hours · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some nice ideas.

[liberal sprinkles · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book with a little envy - I wish I were there in person visiting the 24 studios with Lotta Jansdotter so I could open some drawers and get closer-up looks myself. I enjoyed the peek into the creative spaces of the artists, designers and photographers located in Brooklyn, Stockholm and Tokyo, especially those of Ian Hundley and Mociun, whose works I've lusted after for a while. It was fun to get a glimpse of the lives and workspaces of the 24 profilees but I would have like to see more detailed photographs, like of the tools and materials they use and their storage solutions. The interviews I found somewhat breezy and basic. You get an idea of what inspires these people, their works, how they organize their workspace and some of their favorite things (example: music choices while in the studio) but you don't take away much from the few questions and short answers published.

There are so many design and art websites nowadays where you get taken on regular studio tours of all kinds of creative people in different fields of work, and they include great photos and detailed interviews and write-ups too. I think you'd need a distinctive concept or design for a book on studio visits to truly stand out. I'm sad to say while I enjoyed reading this book, it didn't make the grade for me.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book in the spring and on several occasions flipped through parts of it to look at the pictures. I had a long day at the dentist scheduled on thursday and brought this book along to read while I waited. talk about a book that takes you to another place! I love how Lotta organized the book by city: Brooklyn, Stockholm and Tokyo. the casual interview style paired with the beautiful pictures is interesting and makes you feel like your right in the space. Warning, this book will make you want to move to a new space so you can totally redesign it into your own amazing studio! Lotta, please come out with a second version, I didn't want this book to end.

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love to look through books like this. Normally that's all I do - just look at the pictures. But I read every word of this one. It's inspiring to see all the different ways that creative people use and organize their spaces. What I especially liked about this book was that it wasn't just beautiful studios. There were a few that were really big, beautiful spaces, but many of them were messy, crammed, and small. I really liked seeing all the different storage solutions that people have found or made. I really want to hit some thrift stores and flea markets now to find some fun rolling carts and storage bins.

[Ligaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun and inspirational book but I wished there were more detail photos of the spaces and that the questions posed to each artist were the same. The differences would be interesting. The text is very light so the same questions would have made me breeze through the reading even quicker. The font used to identify each designer was horrible and, at times, illegible. I wish there were a greater range of artists/craftspersons. A woodworker's woodshop, a weaver's atelier, a mosaicist space - those would be great to have seen.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed flipping through this book and hearing about the artists who inhabit the space. I have to say that I'm totally biased because I love seeing creative workspaces. I find it inspiring to see how people make in the tiniest to largest workspaces.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sigh. This book is very inspirational. It has photographs of 24 studio spaces in Brooklyn, Stockholm, and New York. It is drool-worthy!

[Maleka · Rating 5 out of 5]

So inspirational.

[Ariane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really lovely, visually inspiring peek into artists' studios around the world. If anything, I wish it had been longer and more detailed!

[Angela Chard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love peeking into spaces where art/designing happens...especially the crafty type of art. This book has a great variety and is really inspiring.