James Siena is the Mary Miss Artist in Residence at the American Academy in Rome and an artist from New York City.
What part of the United States did you come from?
New York City and the Berkshires.
Describe a particularly inspiring moment or location you've experienced in Rome thus far.
I was very moved by seeing the little jewel of a chapel by Bramante that’s near the Via Garibaldi, on our way down to Trastevere.
To what extent, if any, has your work changed since your arrival?
It’s just too soon to say.
Have you had any “eureka!” moments or unanticipated breakthroughs in the course of your work here?
I bought an old Olivetti typewriter at the Porta Portese Flea Market—I collect typewriters as a hobby, but never used them in my work—and some works on paper have resulted from this. I’d always imagined this would happen sooner or later, but am a bit surprised it happened here.
What aspect of your work are you most looking forward to?
Time, time, and more time to focus, and to let the weight of history sweetly bear down on me.
What part of your project has been or do you anticipate will be the most challenging?
Since I’m making sculpture for the most part, it’s all very new and challenging. I’ve started about ten things in the first week here and am nowhere near finished on any of them.
What's surprised you most about living in Rome?
The color. I’d been here only a day or two at a time over the past forty years and had no memory of the color: the stucco in its reds, ochres, pale yellows, and the stone and brick work, much of it stained with centuries of existence. There’s something both surprising and deeply reassuring about the color here.
How have you managed the balance between your work (time in the studio/study) and engagement with Rome and Italy (travel, sightseeing, interactions with locals)?
I haven’t really been out much, only a couple of strolls down in Trastevere. I do have plans to visit Pompeii and Herculaneum, and to make a trip to Bologna to see the Morandi Museum. Balancing time in the studio with actually “being” here will be a difficult necessity.
How do you anticipate your time at the Academy will influence future work?
I have no idea at the moment, but I’m sure this residency will affect my work in unforeseeable ways. To overthink such a question is to adversely affect any desired outcome.
What is your favorite spot at the Academy? Or in Rome?
I am blown over by the depth and intensity of the resources at the Academy’s library, and look forward to some unexpected discoveries in the coming weeks.