Where They Create

by Alexandra Onderwater, Paul Barbera (Photographer)

The successful weblog Where They Create documents studios where creativity takes place by showing the work of interior photographer Paul Barbera. Now it's time to make a book. Where they Create captures thirty studios from all around the world; studios of painters, sculptors, designers, architects, advertising agencies, and many others, some very well known, others only starting out. The studios of Wallpaper* magazine, Clive Wilkinson Architects, Jeremiah Goodman, and Opening Ceremony are included. Important to Barbera is that the photographed studios are somehow connected to someone Barbera knows and that he likes the creative space or the work they do. Where They Create is also a break from the work Barbera does for several interior magazines, where everything is styled and considered. Instead the images for this book are as Barbera finds the spaces, un-styled and raw. Just the way they are. Each project is described with personal information from the owner of the studio and Barbera himself. Alexandra Onderwater has written for many international magazines, including Wallpaper* , i-D , and Frame . Paul Barbera was born in Melbourne, Australia, but now works between Melbourne and Amsterdam, living in various locations that include Berlin, Prague, Singapore, and Rome. During this time, Paul established himself as an interiors and fashion photographer, working with publications like View on Colour , Bloom , and Vogue Living .

280 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2011

Reviews

[Parka]

(More pictures on my blog)

I love looking at workspace of other artists, designers and creators. There's something intimate about people and their workspace.

Where They Create is a large 288-page hardcover book. On the cover is pasted a photo of a workspace, and each book would feature a different photo. The copy I have has a cat sleeping on a desk.

This is a wonderful book that invites us to these places, the offices, studios or even workshops. The idea of this book actually came from a blog by the same name. In this book, 32 studios are selected to be featured.

The pages are filled with beautiful photos taken by Paul Barbera. The photos together with the interviews are nicely laid out in a way to reflect the random nature of the workspace featured.

Each photo reveals the nature of the work that's being done, and the people working there. You can see what strange items that sit on shelves or pasted to walls, the furniture in the rooms, the kitchen, the people and the atmosphere of the workspace. Looking at them reminds me of those beautifully composed Ikea showroom photos, except here they are filled with life.

This is a captivating book. There's a sense of fascination when looking at the photos. Highly recommended.