Welcome back to ARTMATTERS: The Podcast for Artists.
This week on ARTMATTERS, I'm sending some belated Valentine’s love to all my listeners! In the spirit of the season, I spent my February 14th hanging out at the shared studio of artists Elliot Purse and Krista Louise Smith. It was the perfect way to mark the holiday, exploring the unique dynamics of working side by side with your spouse in the studio.

In this week’s conversation, we discuss studio schedules, collaboration, writing applications; dealing with creative blocks, impatience, studio meltdowns; personal boundaries, critique and feedback; and balancing art and personal life. I had a great time speaking with Elliot and Krista, And don’t worry—I wrapped up the conversation before I could ruin their dinner plans.

Elliot Purse’s art explores masculinity, cultural symbolism, and the body through charcoal and paint. Influenced by sports and pro-wrestling, he reinterprets male power, blending classical techniques with modern critique. With an MFA from The New York Academy of Art and a BFA from the University of Illinois, his work has appeared at the Norton Museum, the Flag Art Foundation, and the Spring Break Art Show.

Krista Louise Smith has exhibited her work internationally in New York, Rome, Bucharest, and Seoul, with shows at CARVALHO PARK, Nicodim Gallery, and Half Gallery. Holding a BFA from OCAD University and an MFA from the New York Academy of Art, she has been awarded a New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) grant, the Ruth Katzman Prize, and is a three-time recipient of the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation for the Arts Grant. In August 2023, her practice was highlighted in Artnet News' “Up Next” by arts writer Katie White.

Enjoy my conversation with Krista Louise Smith and Elliot Purse!

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host: Isaac Mann
www.isaacmann.com
insta: @isaac.mann

guest 1: Krista Louise Smith
www.kristalouisesmith.com
insta: @kristalouisesmith

guest 2: Elliot Purse
www.elliotpurse.com
insta: @elliotpurse

Thank you as always to ARRN, the Detroit-based artist and instrumentalist, for the music.