Nicholas Blechman is the winner of the Cynthia Hazen Polsky and Leon Polsky Rome Prize in Design and an Art Director at The New York Times in New York City.
Why did you apply for the Rome Prize?
To escape the endless cycle of deadlines that characterizes life in New York. I wanted to create a body of work that is not commissioned or formatted to a certain size.
Describe a particularly inspiring moment or location you've experienced in Rome thus far.
Harvesting olives in the Academy garden and pressing our own oil was one of the highlights of our time in Rome. It is a fascinating process that has not much changed over thousands of years. It was liberating to get away from the computer and climb trees.
To what extent, if any, has your proposed project changed since your arrival?
I am less concerned with the end result and more focused on process. Instead of soliciting submissions from other designers and illustrators for a new issue of Nozone, I concentrated on my own work. I drew food chains, sketched inside a pasta factory, and designed information graphics on Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
Have you had any "eureka!" moments or unanticipated breakthroughs in the course of your work here?
Realizing that I did not have to follow my proposed project, and turning down all outside work that did not relate to my project, was a revelation and very liberating.
What aspect of your project are you most looking forward to?
Processing all the data I’ve gathered once I return to America. I've discovered new modes of working in Rome, and I'm eager to apply these new approaches to my life in NY.
What's surprised you most about living in Rome?
The omnipresence of history. You cannot go anywhere without bumping into a column or an ancient aqueduct. Rome is like a giant time machine that only moves in one direction: back.
What is your favorite spot at the Academy?
The bar brings everyone together; in the morning for coffee, and in the evening for proseco. It’s not only a meeting point, but is also our favorite market. It is where we buy RSFP essentials like granola and marmalade. It is a beautiful room with a Ferrari-red espresso machine. The portraits on the wall from previous fellows make you feel like part of a community that goes back decades.