With the art world largely focused on the impact the economic downturn has had on auction houses and galleries, the plight of artists can sometimes be a mere afterthought. But it’s only natural that with the slumping market, some artists are finding themselves uncomfortably close to the cliché image of starving. The latest, according to the Architect's Newspaper, is Vito Acconci.

The New York artist and architect told the Newspaper he will be forced to close his Brooklyn studio due to the slumping economy. Acconci said that despite ongoing projects, “We don’t have money constantly coming in, we have money that comes in spurts, but we can’t pay people’s salary every two weeks, rent, insurance, etc. I think it costs approximately $50,000 a month to keep the studio going, and we certainly don’t make anything near that amount now.” As he determines what to do next and how to move ahead, he concedes that he was taken aback by the magnitude of the recession and its impact. “This is just very new,” he said. “I am still shell-shocked.”

Read more at the Architect's Newspaper.