Thomas Lail

1. This is my studio office. 5/9 Front l-r (class stuff mostly): Art in Theory text for my painting class, Bruce Andrews and Gretchen Bender for their final project; Nicholas Cullinan’s Arte Povera essay for my advanced class; my glasses (which I so rarely wear now); and the indispensable laptop Back l-r: notebook for writing atop sketchbook atop folder of notes for new work; stack: including Zizek (which might or might not be a good read for the moment); Debord’s Society and comments;...

2. Been revisiting parts of Anti-oedipus; Arendt’s Men in Dark Times (right?); Derek Gregory’s powerhouse Geographical Imaginations (been thinking a lot about maps recently); Russell Jacoby’s Picture imperfect; Jasper Johns Regrets and Julia Arsitedes Drawing atelier book; also a bunch of sharpies and teaching gallery pencils; second stack: Robert Pougue Harrison’s Forests (he’s one of my new faves); a little Bucky; and Rebecca Solnit. Also coffee...

Clockwise from left: Apple Watch that I rarely wear bc who cares anymore?; documents for library virtual board meeting tonight; external DVD drive used to find archived info on an ancient project for something that won’t happen anytime soon; laptop; my assistant Clio; notes on paused CapRep project but when is anyone gonna want to sit shoulder to shoulder in a theatre?; draft of award nomination for River House Project from last year; and nearly empty coffee mug. It's like I'm actually working!

I've got two doors at right angles for a desk, so I've taken a panorama, sorry for the distortion. On the left is turntable and a circa 60s stereo receiver with Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young's "Deja vu" cued up. Next to it is a hard drive back-up. Then some ceramic product bottles, then three screens (laptop, monitor, and iPad). On the perpendicular desk, you caught me while observing some vernal pool pond water with a microscope. Finally, a desk phone and daily notebook.

My constantly evolving catch-all table. Buried somewhere in there are electrical reference manuals. I’ve been nonstop renovating since March18. Doesn’t really fit the spirit of your recent message as far as books go! But it’s been my life thus far.

1. Thanks for asking me to participate. I added a photo of what I’m reading lately. The desk photos are “as is”.

2. Thanks for asking me to participate. I added a photo of what I’m reading lately. The desk photos are “as is”.

3. Thanks for asking me to participate. I added a photo of what I’m reading lately. The desk photos are “as is”.

4. Thanks for asking me to participate. I added a photo of what I’m reading lately. The desk photos are “as is”.

1.My work table in the studio: a prototype made with mixed media layered collage, a sculpture made with thousands of hairpins, and some pyramid fishing weights for an upcoming installation. My coffee table at home: Not a desk, but a constantly revolving table of books that I have collected over the past 20+ years. Mostly from museum and gallery shows that I have seen that I didn’t want to let myself forget.

2. My work table in the studio: a prototype made with mixed media layered collage, a sculpture made with thousands of hairpins, and some pyramid fishing weights for an upcoming installation. My coffee table at home: Not a desk, but a constantly revolving table of books that I have collected over the past 20+ years. Mostly from museum and gallery shows that I have seen that I didn’t want to let myself forget.

Panorama of my office. Windows Mac, iPad Pro and iPhone then turn around to Fender amps and guitars everywhere

1. My work table, which is the closest thing that comes to a desk in my basement studio, currently has supplies used for this semester’s video demos, books used for this and next semester’s courses (Drawing From Observation by Brian Curtis, Themes of Contemporary Art by Robertson and McDaniel, and Picture This and What it Is by Lynda Berry), books I keep meaning to finish or start (Metropole by Ferenc Karinthy, The Baiut Alley Lads by Filip and Mateo Florian, and Roscoe by William Kennedy)...

2. And books I am reading To hopefully inform or guide my thinking as I work such as Why our Pictures are like Puzzles by David Elkins, Painting Beyond Itself and Colour, Both of which are collections and/ or excerpts of Essays. I also have CDs on how to learn Romanian in the middle of the desk.

1. Temporary setup at a temporary desk. Holding on to time and bits of history in these gathered ocean rocks that have become my friends in isolation. Still from video: https://vimeo.com/414946264

2. Temporary setup at a temporary desk. Holding on to time and bits of history in these gathered ocean rocks that have become my friends in isolation. Still from video: https://vimeo.com/414946264

1. Most of my work now takes place at two desks - one, my office, where I Zoom with students and other faculty 15 hours a week. The other, a makeshift studio at home where I'm making small sculptures and drawings. Both of them seem like placeholders - it's a strange feeling I think we're all becoming familiar with. And actually I have a third, just for paperwork.

2. Most of my work now takes place at two desks - one, my office, where I Zoom with students and other faculty 15 hours a week. The other, a makeshift studio at home where I'm making small sculptures and drawings. Both of them seem like placeholders - it's a strange feeling I think we're all becoming familiar with. And actually I have a third, just for paperwork.