Studios of Their Own - by Alex Johnson (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Studios of Their Own travels around the world examining the unique spaces, habits and rituals of over 50 famous artists.

From Picasso, to Hockney, to Caravaggio, discover the eclectic creative spaces used by artistic visionaries, brought to life with evocative illustrations.

Crossing centuries, continents and genres, Alex Johnson explores these artists' workspaces and habits. How do they practise their craft? What do they look for in a studio? Do they work in silence or with music... in a shared space or in solitude? How do they harness the light? And how do their physical spaces affect and inspire their output?

This striking collection focuses on more than 50 international artists, including:

• Claude Monet, who created an inspirational garden in which to work en plein air and paint his famous water lilies
• Frida Kahlo, forced to work from her bed, inspired by the lucky talismans she surrounded herself with
• Jean-Michel Basquiat, working in an old stable, could turn anything into canvas, walking and lying on his works as he created them
• Lee Krasner's art dramatically changed when she moved from her small studio into the larger, light-filled one that she took over when her husband, Jackson Pollock, died

In looking at the working lives of our favourite artists, readers will be transported to other worlds, as well as gaining a deeper insight into the creative process.

Also in the series: Rooms of Their Own: Where Great Writers Write.

Review Quotes

"A fascinating, informative, original, and inspiring study that will hold enormous appeal to readers with an interest in the impact and influence a studio can have on the artist who creates it to work in and from."

--Midwest Book Review

"In looking at the working lives of these great artists, we found ourselves transported to other worlds, as well as gaining a deeper insight into the creative process."

--ENTREE Travel

About the Author

Alex Johnson is a journalist, blogger and author of Rooms of Their Own: Where Great Writers Write, Improbable Libraries and Bookshelf. He lives in St Albans, London with his wife, three children, and plenty of books from all over the world.James Oses is an artist and illustrator from south London. He specialises in painting interesting places, often working in ink and watercolours. His work has been published in The New Yorker, The Guardian and Radio Times. Other clients include Borough Market, Marks & Spencer and the Poetry Society. He also teaches at Middlesex University.