The Magic of Making: Mark Ballogg’s Studio Views
By JACKIE LEWIS
When we hear ‘make space’ it can imply the act of a preparatory welcome, a decluttering of old things in anticipation of readying for something new. But space for making can signify an environment for creativity, in which something is forged from nothing. To enter that space is to be committed to contributing something tangible. This fall, photographer Mark Ballogg will exhibit a new body of work at ALMA Art and Interiors based on his book Making Space, which depicts Chicago artists and their studios, capturing their methods, processes and works in progress. Created over the course of six years, Ballogg’s book explores the studios and thoughts of 113 Chicago artists in 94 color photographs and 76 quotes, selected from over 4,000 images generated from 166 studio visits. The exhibition, also titled Making Space, features 30 large-scale photographs, displayed in conversation with a collection of finished work from the artists featured in those images. CGN spoke with Ballogg as he prepared for the exhibition’s opening in November.
CGN: Tell me a bit about your artistic background and how you chose photography as your medium.
Mark Ballogg: My exposure to art was sporadic. For a time, I lived in a home filled with art, and early on I could render most any object faithfully, but I lacked a consistent artistic focus. In 1974 I purchased a Nikon camera to photograph my drawings and quickly realized that formal instruction could help me develop my photographic technique. I enrolled in a photography class at Columbia College Chicago, which nurtured my lifelong passion. Capturing a photograph created a serene moment of total focus, uplifting me when I sensed I was seeing something for the first time. That discovery, in some small way, momentarily completed me.
CGN: Your book “Making Space” captures scenes from dozens of different Chicago artists’ studios. What drew you to this subject matter?
MB: In October 2017 I was invited by a friend, Jeffrey Goldstein, to visit Richard Hunt’s studio. Richard’s cavernous space in an old CTA power station was filled with massive abstract sculptures in various stages of completion, alongside maquettes, tools, and multiple mounds of scrap metal. I was mesmerized. This experience happened while I was searching for a concept for a new body of work, and photographing Chicago artists’ studios seemed promising. After researching several books on artists’ studios, I felt confident that I could create work that was uniquely my own to add to that oeuvre.
CGN: Do you feel this project connects with prior subjects or is it a divergence from your usual work?
MB: I have worked as a commercial architectural photographer for nearly 40 years in Chicago and across the country. Interior photography is a primary aspect of my commercial work. Artist studios are primarily interior spaces, but Making Space is solely defined by my personal vision unconstrained by a client’s direction. I tried to make photographs that transcend documentary, to elevate the image to a new level of emotional and intellectual vibrancy, to arrange and distill complex disparate elements into a dynamic whole. Some detail shots taken out of context don’t necessarily even read as an artist’s studio. I forced myself to make photographs that made me uncomfortable, to push my work forward.
CGN: In a city filled with so much art, how did you determine which artists you would visit and capture?
MB: I have also collected art, and through collecting I have cultivated friends in the arts. Initially I scheduled visits with some of those friends and at each visit I asked for other artist recommendations. My final selections were based on an artist’s accessibility and my desire to capture the diversity and flavor of the Chicago art scene. I photographed a balance of artists in all aspects of gender, practice, and defining circumstances.
CGN: Tell me about these studio visits. What transpired between you and these artists to create such a collaborative book?
MB: Each studio visit consisted of about two hours of photography and one hour of a recorded conversation with the artist discussing all matters of art. On most occasions, the artist was in the studio working and/or watching me photograph their studio. I approached each studio without preconceived ideas, responding intuitively to the space. Often the photography would inform the direction of our conversations. The collaborative nature grew from the artists’ generous willingness to allow me into their studio and my respect for their space and work.
CGN: Have you found connections between an artist’s physical space and their relationship with their artistic practice and philosophy?
MB: The Making Space photographs of studios offer unique and shared aspects of an artist’s practice. In some cases, they are discreet. For example, In Anne Harris’s studio photograph, I was drawn to the word “eyelid” drawn on the wall. When Anne spent about 15 minutes talking about the significance that eyelids play in her art, I figured I’d been right to notice. Others are more obvious: the massive sculptural work of Richard Hunt dictated the scale of his studio. But yes, many studio photographs are defined by studio size, space location, functional design, furnishing, tools, and the work itself, all offering insights into the artist’s practice.
CGN: This fall Making Space, the exhibition, will be at ALMA Art and Interiors and include 31 of your studio photographs alongside 31 works from the related artists. Was this also a collaborative experience?
MB: These collaborations were expressed by the artists’ willingness to be included in the exhibition and submit work for the it. In addition, we are planning a series of events that bring these artists into the gallery to discuss their practices and their Making Space experience.
CGN: How do your photographs work in conversation with these artists’ pieces?
MB: I hope to create a symbiotic relationship between the artist’s work and my photographs of their studio. At times, the photograph illustrates the artist’s work. On other occasions, the actual construction of the photograph reveals one aspect of the artist’s practice. The studio space itself can also be a reflection of the artist’s personality.
I think the total impact of viewing the photo and the work is greater than viewing each separately. I hesitate to predict exactly how that relationship plays out, but I’m excited to see how the audience reacts.
Making Space
Curated by Mark Ballogg, Kimberly Oliva and Gosia Korsakowski
ALMA Art and Interiors – 3636 S. Iron, Chicago (60609)
Opening Reception, Friday, Nov 8, 5–9pm. On view Nov 8–Feb 28, 2025
Details at almaartandinteriors.com and on Instagram @makingspace_book
