Geoff McFetridge’s
Zones of Productivity
How can a workspace support all the needs of a multidisciplinary artist and father of two? Though Geoff McFetridge produces illusionistic graphics found in museums around the world and collaborates with the likes of Patagonia and Norse Projects, every work comes to life in his Los Angeles studio and home. We visited to see how his setup fosters his creativity and focus.
My studio is very much determined by ‘framing my mind.’ — I like to have different things to do that occupy different aspects of the creative process, so that’s how my studio is oriented. If drawing is becoming stagnant, I’ll move to the computer or go downstairs to the painting studio. The entire space is structured to service creativity.”
Creative
Morning Fuel
“The main studio room is set into two zones. This big table in the middle of the room is where I sit and draw in the morning. I can really only work on one thing at a time, so I don’t like having computers on the desk where I draw. Being focused is important to my productivity.
I do so much of what I do in a very reductive way. I sit at that table, always on the same side in my shell chair. I find Eames Shell Chairs really comfortable to work in. Drawing is so active that I think it suits a very simple chair.”
Focused
Afternoon Flow
“Next to my big table is the more technical station with the computer and scanner. It’s largely my assistant Jesse’s workspace. The setup makes it easy for Jesse to turn around and ask me questions as I work. I realized I don’t need solitude to work, so I gave up on working alone decades ago.
The computer is more of a mechanical interface, so I thought a softer and more adjustable chair might be interesting to try. Since Jesse wanted a proper task chair for long hours of sitting, I chose the Cosm Chair.”
Collaborative
Evening Reset
“I rarely make art at home. The work I do at home would be goofing off with the girls, or things like fixing my bikes, tying flies, and mounting skis. This workspace came out of COVID homeschooling, and it became a permanent creative place for my younger daughter. Sometimes we sit and draw together or make things out of clay.
She helped create the setup and had a lot of opinions! We chose the Eames Aluminum Group, a beautiful, softer chair for the house. I love the low back.”
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