In The Studio with Sculptor Iain Machell

INSIDE+OUT Upstate NY is proud to present the next in our artist spotlight series, “In the Studio With…,” a celebration of the visionaries shaping the vibrant arts landscape of the Hudson Valley. In this series, we open the doors to the workspaces, lives, and inner worlds of the region’s most compelling creatives.

Today we are with Saugerties-based sculptor Iain Machell, an artist whose work acts as a visual bridge between the rugged landscapes of his native Scotland and the natural beauty of the Hudson Valley. With a creative practice rooted in “observation” rather than simply looking, Iain translates a lifelong vocabulary of organic forms—shells, fossils, and rock formations—into tactile sculptures and drawings. Iain has a modernist approach to his work, sourcing wood or stone found around him, often down by the Hudson River, which he describes as a rescue effort rather than recycling, and sometimes has a history of disease or damage, often from human land clearing.

Iain’s work has been shown at The Drawing Center, Sculpture Center, Artists Space, Center for Book Arts, and Dieu Donne Gallery in New York City, ARC Gallery Raw Space in Chicago, Islip Art Museum on Long Island, NY, and Contemporary Outdoor Sculpture at Chesterwood in Stockbridge, MA. Iain’s works have also been featured in The New York Times, Sculpture Magazine, New Art Examiner & Chicago Sun-Times. 

In collaboration with videographers, littlebitcreates, we’re excited to introduce Iain Machell. Join us as we discuss his daily rituals along the Hudson River, his discipline in the studio, and his role in cultivating a vibrant local arts community in the Hudson Valley.

INSIDE+OUT: Where are you originally from, and how did you wind up in the Hudson Valley?

Iain Machell: I was born in Scotland, and after I finished art school there in 1978, I drifted to the US.  A string of teaching jobs took me from Connecticut to NY State, Vermont, West Virginia, Massachusetts, and New York City.  I was offered the position of Art Department Chair at SUNY Ulster in Stone Ridge in 2003, and that’s what brought me here to the Hudson Valley. Been here ever since!

What inspired you to become a sculptor, and what was your journey?

Iain Machell: My parents were both science-oriented, and they taught me to look at things.  And I don’t just mean look, I mean OBSERVE, to actually take the time to inspect and analyze anything found in the natural world.  We lived on the Isle of Wight, and every Sunday the family would go for a walk together.  This often involved hunting for shells and fossils on the beach, or plants and trees in the woods.  I was fascinated by all the forms you can find in nature, and I didn’t know at the time that I was building up a vocabulary of shapes and textures in my head.  Now I’m obsessed by this visual lexicon, and it’s the basis of all my work.  Arriving at art school in Scotland, I felt like I had met my people, and I fell in love with the sculpture department.  It was an easy step to translate the shapes I had collected in my head into drawings and sculptural ideas.  Visually it’s a very physical way of thinking, and it’s right up my alley.

Describe your creative process?  What does a day in the life look like?

Iain Machell: A day in the life of Iain Machell is fueled by the love and support of my wife, Rachael.  She knows when to leave me alone in the studio, which is most of the time.  The day almost always begins with a walk together around our village, ending up at the Hudson River.  Along the way, we encounter plants, trees, rocks, and water to jump-start the day visually.  Eventually, I will end up in the studio.  I use an outdoor space for stone and wood carving during the warm weather and an indoor studio during the colder months for wood carving and drawing.

How would you describe your work? What tools do you prefer to use?

Iain Machell: I hop around between making drawings and sculpture.  They are partners in crime and also dancing partners.  I tend to draw with a 3-dimensional idea in mind and make sculptures that include surface marks and textures like a drawing.  My main source of information and investigation has always been nature.  I’ve accumulated various tools for drawing and sculpture over the years – some I inherited, some are from flea markets, some are brand spanking new.  I have an eclectic collection of wood and stone tools, and I love to work with them.

What do you love most about being an artist?

Iain Machell: I should write something really profound here, but in all seriousness, when I cross the threshold into my studio, it’s like lying down on the psychiatrist’s couch.  In the studio, I’m prepared to be challenged and to take risks and be ready to fail.  If you’re not ready for this, then don’t become an artist.  It’s no picnic, but what I love most about it (I’m getting around to answering the question!) is that the visual and physical language of sculpture is a language I love and have learned to become extremely fluid with.  There are many languages that we can communicate with, the most dominant being words – written, printed and spoken. But there’s also visual language, movement, theatre, music, and numbers.  Everyone has to find the language that they’re comfortable with.  My chosen language is sculpture, and I use my vocabulary of shapes to create the equivalent of sentences and narratives in a wide range of mediums.  That’s what I love!

What makes living in the Hudson Valley special for you?

Iain Machell: Where we live, I can be at the Hudson River in 5 minutes, and up a mountain in 30 minutes.  The landscape of the Hudson Valley reminds me of the countryside I grew up in the UK.  There’s an abundance of trees and rock formations, which are some of my favorite things to study, draw, and adapt into sculptural ideas.  I can see why so many artists have been drawn to this area, and I’m really enjoying being part of a thriving community of artists today.

What are the most challenging and the most rewarding aspects of being an artist today?

Iain Machell: Challenging:  It’s hard work, and it’s often very solitary work.  Be prepared to hear the voices in your head at full volume.  Earning recognition and finding support is a battle.  On a global scale, the US is not doing a great job of supporting working artists.

Rewarding:  A good artist is an omnivore – interested in everything.  If you’re doing it properly, then having a creative practice is constantly rejuvenating.  However, there are a lot of people out there who are posing as artists, and you know who you are.

What is one question you’re constantly asked or the biggest misconception about your work?

Iain Machell: “How did you make this?”  “How long did it take?”  I get it- I like to know how stuff is made too!

What impact does your business have on your community?

Iain Machell: A good example would be the Saugerties Artists Tour, which I am involved with, now in its 26th year.  Forty five or so artists open their studios to the public for a weekend in August, and anyone can take the tour.  We have support from State grants, the Town of Saugerties, and many local businesses.  They all see the value of the tour, helping to put the town on the map as a destination for art and culture, especially when all the visitors are spending money!

What local businesses do you rely on to be successful?

Iain Machell: M & T Bank, Smith Hardware.

Local Love: What local business should we know about?

Iain Machell: Art Galleries: Jane St. Art Center, Figureworks Gallery, Stern Gallery, Lockwood Gallery, Queen of Rogues Gallery, Woodstock Artist Association & Museum (WAAM), Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild.

Who or what inspires you personally?

Iain Machell: I have a timeline of artists who have been steady influences on my artwork.  Starting with prehistoric art and the tombs and stone circles of the UK, moving on to early Greek (Cycladic) sculpture, then Michelangelo, Rodin, Brancusi, Jean Arp, Barbara Hepworth, Noguchi, Henry Moore, Eva Hesse. Good stuff!

What do you do for fun? What are some of your favorite ways to unwind and unplug when you are not in your studio?

Iain Machell: Music: listening and playing. Walking. Looking through tool catalogues!

What is your current state of mind?

Iain Machell: Curious, creative, busy.

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