Meet Natalie Lanese | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Natalie Lanese and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Natalie, how has your work-life balance changed over time?

My work-life balance has shifted through career choices and moves I’ve made. I’ve taught full-time at universities while managing a devoted studio practice. I’ve given up the security of full-time work to pursue painting. And, I’ve done enough large-scale projects that I can prepare myself and those around me for a period of time that work might be all-consuming, when friends and family might not see me much. But, I also just returned from a vacation that I took somewhat spontaneously because I had the time to get away. My schedule is not always predictable, so I’ve learned to take advantage of the time I have to slow down so that I can be more productive during the busier stretches. Aligning the financial aspects of this can be tricky, but the longer I’ve done it, the more prepared I’ve been during periods of famine.

On a day-to-day basis, I work hard, focus for short stretches, give myself frequent short breaks, and always make time for exercise and eating well. There will always be work to do, so I put a lot of practice into making sure I’m caring for myself, enjoying my life, and building longevity in my habits. Over time, I’ve gotten to know myself better and have tailored this balance to meet my needs. Like everything, it takes time and practice.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

I am a painter and I make site-specific installations. Working site-specifically is the most exciting part of my job–it requires a comfort level with uncertainty, quick problem-solving, and an understanding that things will not always go according to plan. The process feels risky, and I like to put myself in the vulnerable space of working through it. My work is focused on abstraction and color; specifically, I explore line and pattern and what happens when they shift between two and three dimensions.

I’ve been working professionally for 20 years; the work I currently make evolved from research I began in graduate school at Pratt Institute in 2005. It’s sometimes hard to believe I’ve been working through an idea for nearly two decades. It’s been years of work to get here, which in many ways still feels like the beginning of my career. There are all kinds of success and failure: good luck and bad luck, hard work paying off and not paying off, people loving my work and highly disliking it, and fair paychecks and plenty of unfair paychecks. I overcome these challenges by knowing that I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing: making art that is authentically mine, and continuing an inquiry that has captivated me for half my life.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

First of all, I don’t know who is visiting Cleveland for an entire week, but I do hope this person exists! Rest assured I have a week’s worth of places to show off, starting with my neighborhood. I live near Edgewater Park in Cleveland, so I’d begin with a walk along Lake Erie and hang at the beach if it’s summertime. The trail in the park connects along the lakefront to Wendy Park and an historic Coast Guard station, which is always a must-see for my visitors. From there walk to the Parkview Nite Club for refreshments and check out Gordon Square, a nearby arts district, hit up Superelectric Pinball Parlor for a few games and the Happy Dog for live music and hot dogs.

A visit to the West Side Market is also essential, and from there we can walk across the Hope Memorial Bridge to a Guardians game. I’ll give you history lesson on the Guardians of Transportation, a stunning art deco landmark and the inspiration for our ball club’s new name.

Another must-do is a drive up historic MLK Drive from the lake through the cultural gardens to the Cleveland Museum of Art, one of the best museums in the country. Also catch the Cleveland Orchestra across the street, they are also one of the best in the country. Next door, you can peep one of my permanent installations in CWRU’s University Center. Have a bite in Little Italy and take some to-go treats from Presti’s.

We covered a lot of city stuff, so be sure to drive south to Cuyahoga Valley National Park for excellent hiking and big rocks. The Ledges trail winds through massive mossy boulders left behind by the glaciers.

Other things to do:
See a show at the Beachland Ballroom in Collinwood and check out local galleries along Waterloo.
Eat pizza at Il Rione and Cent’s.
Get a coffee at Duck Rabbit.
Eat a pupusa at Guanaquitas and browse murals in Clark-Fulton and Ohio City.

Seriously, come to Cleveland!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

Any artist will tell you how essential community is to their success. I wouldn’t be doing this without the friendships I’ve built among artists in the different places I’ve lived, studied, attended residencies, and showed my work. These relationships range from professional to personal and most of them cross over between the two. When I moved to Toledo, OH from NYC, I left my support system of grad school friends and mentors and found myself for the first time in my career unmoored from a school context of fellow students, professors and working artists. Being a relatively small town, I was pointed by a friend to a neighborhood of creative people and I sought out the local arts non-profit to help me connect with other artists. These friends make up my closest support systems today — we found each other in a small city with limited resources for artists– the kind of place where you make what you need.

With different groups of friends, we started a critique group for women artists, threw impressive theme parties, curated pop-up gallery shows, and cultivated a space where artists and weirdos could be themselves. In Toledo, big thanks go to Agency, Graphite Design + Build, the Arts Commission and the Old West End.

And the confidence to move to a new place and start introducing myself to strangers – I thank my family for that. They’ve supported me in being an artist even when they didn’t understand the path I was following. Mostly though, they have surrounded me with a secure and supportive space my entire life and have consistently reminded me that I will accomplish what I set out to do.

Website: www.natalielanese.com

Instagram: @natalielanese

Facebook: /natalielanese

Image Credits
Shawn Mishak, Akron Art Museum, Sven Kahn