Artist in Residence: Sam Wagner

About

Bankside Hotel x Contemporary Collective are thrilled to welcome American painter Sam Wagner to the Makers’ Studio as their next Artist in Residence. Venturing across the pond Sam from 17th January - 20th March 2022, Sam will take over the artist studio at and explore the themes of reemergence, new forms and the future throughout the duration of his residency. 

Examining the influences of a post-pandemic world on anxiety and germaphobia, Sam’s residency will touch upon his coping mechanisms to ease tension in the new world we live in which affect our daily lives and change how we perceive each other in an undefined future. Whilst showcasing the dichotomy of the struggle with control during these unprecedented times, Sam’s goal is to create a new series of works that provide an even deeper look into the mind of a person suffering from OCD and Germaphobia. 

Whilst in the studio, Sam will expand on his artistic skill set whilst also drawing upon the techniques he thoroughly developed over the past years. All artworks produced during the residency will be on sale through DegreeArt.com, including original paintings and limited edition prints.

Operating with an open-door policy to encourage visitors to engage directly with the art, Sam will host a range of physical and digital events including an acrylic pour painting demo, collaborative construction of a piece of artwork, basics of Facebook ad demonstration, silent meditation session and a digital discussion about germaphobia and fear. 

For the duration of her residency, Sam will take over the Contemporary Collective Instagram account to document his experience in the studio space. This takeover will feature process shots and final artworks to provide insight into the artist’s creative process, as well as weekly summaries including video clips of various activities taking place in the residency space and the development of ongoing work.