Andrew Wyeth’s Painting Studio
Taking at least two days to photograph the spaces that I do is for many purposeful reasons, but one of my favorites is perfectly illustrated in these two images of Andrew Wyeth’s Brandywine Studio. I watch and photograph as the moods of a room change with the light, and in turn I experience the space as Wyeth would have. Top photo in the early morning and below is early afternoon.
Barbara Hepworth’s Palais de Danse
While photographing Barbara Hepworth’s Studio and Gardens for Still Lives, I had a rare opportunity to be the first person to photograph her Palais de Danse after it was turned over to the Tate by the Hepworth heirs. Located in a former dance hall across the street from her studio, she worked on her larger sculptures here and used the large auditorium to show her work to collectors. The space was in the process of being inventoried when I photographed it, but its two former lives were still lingering all around. Plinths sat empty on what was reputed to be the springiest dance floor for miles and remnants of wartime dances and social events were still scattered, like revelers had left mere hours ago. The veil of time was intoxicatingly thin in the Palais de Danse, which is a rare thing to experience. I shared only a tiny number of images from the Palais in Still Lives, so here are a few more beauties.
Barbara Hepworth’s Shed
I got a little preoccupied with a shed sitting in Barbara Hepworth’s Studio Garden. It was said that she used to take naps there in the afternoon and she would wake when she heard a cease to the sound of her assistants working. I asked if the shed could be open so I could photograph inside and see what she would see when she reclined there, but sadly no key could be found for the padlock on the door. I happened to notice that the side window was ajar and with a bit of coaxing I got the window open enough to be able to put my arms and head in and take a few shots. It was worth almost getting stuck in the window to be able to kind of see from her vantage point. But I still wouldn’t mind throwing those doors open properly.
Georgia O’Keeffe Outtakes
There are never enough pages to include all the funny details and stories that I learn about when I am photographing for my books, but with Georgia O’Keeffe’s home, this is doubly (or triply) true. I scouted in August, so I could see the house when the garden was in its prime. Having a garden was one of the main reasons O’Keeffe wanted this house and it seemed important to share that. But I returned to shoot in earnest in December, so this beautiful image entering into her lush summer garden, and a few others in the stark summer heat, didn’t quite fit in the final edit.
My favorite corner of O’Keeffe’s kitchen was hidden behind the open door to the Spice Room. I cannot remember how I discovered the little nook in the wall where her cookbooks were stored, but I had fun playing with the reflection of the mirror on the opposite side of the door. And look how ordered her cookbooks are – tabs and all…
The large main work table in O’Keeffe’s studio looked a bit unstable, which is putting it mildly. I peeked under the table and found some of O’Keeffe’s attempts to shore it up still in place – an old newspaper and a clothes pin. I still wonder what the date is on the newspaper (how long had that been stuck in there??) but it seemed ill advised to pull it out and look.
