Made With: A RISD Student’s Guide to Stuff

Can you smell a work of art? This episode looks at the long and complex history of scent and smell in art. We consider the use of air and olfactory materials in Marcel Duchamp’s work, as well as a range of contemporary practices. The episode concludes with an interview with Victor Rivera-Díaz, a graduate of RISD’s Nature–Culture–Sustainability Studies program and current Research Assistant at Anicka Yi Studio, New York City. This e...

Teeth can be signals of wealth, receptors of pain, or a medium for bodily adornment, and this episode foregrounds the intersection between class, race, and nationality when it comes to our mouths. It features an interview Regina Gutierrez, a Sculpture student at RISD, as well as a consideration of the work of RISD alum Janine Antoni, who treats the mouth as a sculpting tool in ways that complicate the expectations of gender-based l...

Can an everyday object become a work of art? This episode looks at the alchemy of the “found object,” from Marcel Duchamp’s iconoclastic use of the readymade to Amalia Pica’s contemporary use of found materials to critique and question Argentine politics. It features an interview with RISD student and fashion designer Izaak Hernandez, who studies Textiles and advocates for the communicative powers of garbage. This episode is presen...

Copper wire yarns, a specialized form of yarn used to develop charged textiles, are very common in clothing, furniture, wound dressings, and more, and this episode examines the interconnected histories of copper mining and textile design. We look at the work of Peruvian artist Ximena Garrido-Lecca, whose work foregrounds the tension between tradition and industry, and speak with RISD Dean of Fine Arts and textile designer Brooks Ha...

Light: we cannot see anything without it, but when does light become a threat to art? This episode considers the complicated history of light in art, from prehistoric cave paintings to the modern abstract canvas of Mark Rothko, with a particular focus on conservation and restoration. It features an interview with Ingrid Neuman, Senior Conservator at Museum of Art Rhode Island School of Design. This episode is presented by Fiona Dol...

Glass has been used and produced by humans for over six thousand years. This episode examines glass both as natural and manufactured material, from ancient beads to medieval stained glass to the contemporary work of Philadelphia-based glass artist Judith Schaechter. A conversation with contemporary glass artist Koda Tousignant, who is pursuing a double major in Glass and Printmaking at RISD, rounds out this deep dive into the world...

Earth was the first, and perhaps most universal, building material. In this episode we consider various histories, uses of the earth, with particular attention to Indigenous practices and understandings. This episode looks at the Marfa-based bohemian hotel brand El Cosmico, and it includes an extended interview with Peter Dean, Senior Critic in Furniture Design and faculty affiliated with RISD Nature–Culture–Sustainability Studies....

Paper is one of the first materials we get to know as children. This episode considers paper through the lens of children’s play and education. We’ll hear about the life and work of Marion Nichols, the “Snowflakey Lady” from St. Louis whose complex paper-based snowflake designs have enchanted generations, and we’ll talk to Jinghong Cheng, a RISD senior in Illustration who works with cut paper in producing artist books. This episode...