Sanctuary

While the history of Western art can also be said to be the history of the studio, surprisingly little has been written about the subject, especially in connection with modern or contemporary practice. From Botticelli to Bacon, Da Vinci to Damien Hirst, artists have invested their personalities in the environments in which they have worked. Although today numerous artists have abandoned the studio model in favour of new modes of working enabled by new technologies, the studio space, often containing the visible remains of artistic ingenuity, toil and torment, continues to present a window on the creative soul and a summary of widely varying methods and approaches. The immense interest in the opening of Francis Bacon’s London studio to the general public in 2001 and its subsequent transplanting to Ireland signalled the dawning significance of the studio in critical thinking about new art and culture. In today’s world, the studio has become an observation platform for surrounding life, a creative centre for experimentation often extending beyond the bounds of a single room or grand space. It has also, for some, become a hiding place. Sanctuary: Britain’s Artists and their Studios is the first publication in half a century to look behind the scenes at both artists’ working lives and their workplaces, encouraging them to speak, delving into their minds and exploring their methodologies and personalities. Surveying 120 renowned artists living and working in Britain today, from the most noteworthy to new, upcoming talent, Sanctuary offers a visual feast of specially commissioned photographic imagery while following each artist through their working routines. Tony Cragg, Antony Gormley, Jenny Saville, Anish Kapoor, Mark Wallinger, Phyllida Barlow, Jane and Louise Wilson, Thomas Houseago, Tracey Emin, the Chapman Brothers … the list goes on. It is an elevating experience to be in the presence of a famous artist, even more so to glimpse the talent of new or emerging artists in their inner sanctums. Sanctuary opens doors normally closed to the public, inviting delight, intrigue, even a bit of controversy. In addition to highly individualised interviews with all of the artists featured in the book, the stage is set by three highly engaging essays exploring the meanings, configurations and personalities of a huge range of studio settings and environments in the context of the contemporary British art scene.