What is left of the studio, in the absence of a room to share?

Abstract

This article builds on previous work exploring the essential relational experiences of risk, rupture and change that are possible for students and teachers who learn in an open studio setting. In response to the isolation that accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic this article considers how the relational dynamics of the studio are translated into an online environment. The authors use artmaking to explore their experience of working alongside each other in this way, engaging their material knowing in an online learning environment. The findings reveal that just as the constructed physical space of an art studio is a dynamic container for social interaction and expression, an online space can act as a container for these transformative experiences. The article considers what elements of the studio remain in the absence of a room to share and in doing so is pertinent for art therapists and educators working across face-to-face and online environments.