The “Glimpse Series” offers a closer view of the AAR community’s current Rome Prize winners by delving further into their studios or studies, their daily routines, or work in progress. The scholarly and artistic work being pursued continues to be as varied as the fellowship recipients themselves. The following “Glimpse” focuses on Siobhan Liddell, a visiting critic from the Sculpture Department at Yale University and the Vera G. List/Edith Bloom Rome Prize Fellow in the Visual Arts.
Describe a particularly inspiring moment or location you've experienced in Rome thus far.
Rome is full of extraordinary moments, and one of my mine was witnessing the rain come through the oculus in the Pantheon. The building is a wonder and I am always taken in by its light—it creates an effect like entering a painting where you become the subject. And the ethereal atmosphere is heightened by the surrounding shadows that deepen in contrast.
While sitting inside and reading, I didn’t realize that the rain had started until I noticed droplets hitting the ground. Upon looking up and adjusting my eyes to the brightness, the opening seemed to expand again and again while a column of droplets caught the sun’s rays and fell as if in slow motion. It was a cinematic, meditative, mind-expanding moment. For me, the Pantheon is a monument to light and the elements—it’s always an altering experience to be there, and being able to frequent it on a regular basis has been deeply moving.
To what extent, if any, has your proposed project changed since your arrival?
Initially my project involved recording the light in the Pantheon and examining what in that record might be revealed. I am interested in the archeoastronomical calendar, which is based on the movement of light and was once a critical function of the building’s design as The Temple to the Gods. Today, the Pantheon’s serves more as a public place of contemplation and after many visits there I’ve changed my approach and am making paintings and sculptures in the studio—more specifically, masks out of molded paper that are distinctly primal and “portrait” paintings of people based on their book collections.
I continue to say to myself “When in doubt go to the Pantheon” because it’s like entering a shrine to the imagination, the mysterious, the awe-inspiring. Standing in this building, one of the greatest in the world, is like being in the imagination of the ancients, a place of mystery and magic—and for me it’s fuel for the fire.
Have you had any "ah-hah!" moments or unanticipated breakthroughs in the course of your work here?
I love the moments when as an artist I see a sculpture that is two thousand years old and I am suddenly pulled into the present. I am reminded of modern works of art that echo the ancients. This reinforces my belief that the act of creation is a continuous one. Repeated, reinterpreted, interrupted again and again through cycles of birth and death throughout time. A lineage of influence that stems from basic human responses and desires.
What part of your project has been, or do you anticipate to be, the most challenging?
I haven’t hit any hurdles just yet, but since you asked, I could make a projection into the future and say that leaving the Academy, the wonderful people here and the beauty and romance of Rome might be a big one!
What's surprised you most about living in Rome?
Being in Rome is like cutting through into another realm of reality with the subtle knife. It takes time to adjust—my eyeballs are always responding and my body and mind can’t always keep up.
I knew little of Roman history before coming here and am amazed how the city is built on myths, and how those myths are depicted in all manner of ways—in sculpture, painting, architecture, pottery, poetry. I have been reading The Aeneid by Virgil and watching the TV series Rome—admittedly more than a little raunchy and trashy, but the show’s overarching narrative has helped me to piece together the stories that unfold throughout the city. I also see the ways in which those myths are the beginning of stories that are still being acted out, and how their characters come into play.
Being able to take the time to really get to know the city and experiencing it in new and familiar ways has been a continuous pleasure. And, I might add, I had heard about the Roman light before arriving, but the reality of it is stunning. For me, an integral part of the Rome experience has been witnessing it on a daily basis.
How have you managed the balance between your work and engagement with Rome and Italy? This balance is never the same for any two Fellows.
Being here with my partner and our four-year-old son Bruno has required some adjustment for our family, but I like the routine that it brings—like taking Bruno to school and engaging with the local community. There is a kind hospitality that I experience here, a humanity that is down-to-earth and grounded. For instance, we met an Ethiopian woman and her child in the doctor’s office last month and are now going to her child’s birthday party next weekend because we bumped into each other again on the Via del Corso! That’s the kind of spontaneous generosity we’ve encountered.
As for my work, I’ve noticed that my studio practice comes in bursts. Initially I was so excited to be here I could hardly sleep and spent late nights in my studio pursuing a pre-determined direction. Jaunts into the city were overwhelming, over-stimulating and totally compelling and the desire to travel, to see Italy, remains strong. Now I’ve adjusted to the flow of letting the city influence and carry me into my practice to see what comes out of that. Rome affords so many unknown paths to follow. So I spend days roaming unknown streets, the museums, churches, and markets never knowing where it will lead—or taking the excellent tours with Corey Brennan [Mellon Professor in Charge of the School of Classical Studies]. He brings to life so much of the surrounding environs. I have enjoyed his walks immensely and learnt so much from him.
Perhaps the palimpsest of culture here—the shifting social equations and metamorphoses of cultural heritage over time—leads one to experience history in the present and so reminds us of our very brief encounter with the world in one short lifetime and encourages us to live it to the full. As a shopkeeper I met once said: “Ah, you live on the Gianicolo, the best place in Rome,” and I think he is right! Having such an expansive view out onto the city helps to keep the heart and mind open to all possibilities.
What's your favorite dish in the RSFP kitchen?
Chestnut and porcini mushroom soup—incredible!
How do you anticipate your Rome Prize Fellowship will influence future work?
Having been given this incredible time here to freely absorb so many influences and associations and to be amongst a community of truly inspiring people from such a variety of disciplines, I can only imagine that the results of this experience will be long lasting. I have no idea how it will manifest, but am truly grateful for the change and shift that this year is bringing.