OH&S Resources for Art and Design Students: Home

This article discusses the process by which contemporary fine art sculpture and installation is fabricated on behalf of a number of internationally renowned artists, as seen from the floor of a New York studio. It is an insider account, which not only outlines the sculpture-making process but also offers a thorough examination of the day-to-day conditions in which art-workers undertake their specialised labour. Various occupational and material hazards are discussed, as well as how the latter affects areas beyond the studio walls. In an absence of critical debate pertaining to the artworlds' polluting practices, a critique is formed which queries the sustainability of large art works that seldom disclose anything as to the nature of their production.

This guide invites arts institutions, arts workers and peer artists to critically reflect on their approach to working with artists and communities who experience intersections of diverse gender, sexuality and culture.