Saturday, January 22, 2011

Artist's studios ...

I am intrigued by spaces that inspire creativity and the artists that inhabit them. In my mind, artist's studios are textural, uninhibited, sensual, spiritual spaces that are often most appealing in a state of controlled chaos.


I am captivated by this haunting image of artist Henry Ossawa Tanner in his studio (above) at 51 rue Saint-Jacques in Paris, circa 1900.


I would love to visit the Mediterranean studio of Jean-Loup Daraux (above) where rustic elements compete with art as focal points.

I had the good fortune to attend a soiree at an atelier in Paris several years ago, purported to have been the studio of Henri Matisse. Though small, it had an entire wall of glass on one side, filling the space with the most beautiful light.


The New York loft studio (above) of artist Ruben Toledo, is similarly awash in natural light from celestory windows. You can see why Nordstroms found it a compelling location for its Fall 2010 catalog shoot.

Even if a space is small, like the Louisville, Kentucky studio of artist Sylvia Degenkolb (left), displayed artwork creates a personal stamp that makes the space appealing.

I have noticed a common thread in these spaces that is true in my own studio: the walls and floors are a subdued color. When your work is about color, a neutral palatte in the room is almost a necessity.

Think gallery, boys and girls. White, or near white walls work best. The light needs to reflect, the canvas should not be influenced by its surroundings and the eye must have somewhere to rest.

Oh, how I love these studios!

1 comments:

Notre Vie Juteuse said...

I should take a picture of my husbands studio and send it to you...