Studios of Their Own: Where Great Artists Work

by Alex Johnson, James Oses (illustrator)

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, 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 Rooms of Their Where Great Writers Write.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

192 pages, Hardcover

Published October 22, 2024

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Studios of Their Own' offers a rare glimpse into the creative spaces of painters, sculptors, and artists across time and continents—some still active, others long gone.

What truly captivated me were not just the descriptions of these spaces, but the intimate stories behind them. Each studio becomes a reflection of the artist's soul—a place where ideas, habits, and passions come to life. From learning how Monet could capture nature so vividly from his fishing boat to discovering how music played a big part in Jean-Michel Basquiat’s art, with his collection of 3,000 vinyl records, the book reveals that even the most celebrated artists often lived more humble, grounded lives than we might imagine—Michelangelo’s extremely well-worn trousers being a perfect example. The contrast between the grandeur of their work and the simplicity of their lives is both humbling and inspiring.

Accompanied by beautiful illustrations, the writing immerses you in both the studios and lives of these creative icons. As I close the book, I feel deeply inspired to step into the studio of my own. A must-have for any artist seeking inspiration or insight into their predecessors.

Thanks to the publisher, Quarto Publishing Group, and Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Trizia · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I bought this book, it was my intend to use it more as a fun “coffee table” book. It has beautiful illustrations and a pleasant layout.

At college, when I followed the course on Contemporary Art, we had a lesson about the history of the artist studio. That lesson was so fun that it pushed me to actually read this book completely ( and maybe also the fact that I am on a summer break and have no access to my own art studio at college 🥹). I really enjoyed most of it, in particular all the artists studios from the 20th century and even from the 19th century . However , there are some parts on artists their studios from the Renaissance and Baroque era that just doesn’t seem quite right. The author mentioned it’s lack of documentation….if you don’t have the right documentation, why write about it? But in general I enjoyed it and this will be one of my favorite “coffee table books”.

[Carolin M. Hafen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich mag Bücher wie dieses; ein Blick über die Schulter kreativer Menschen. Mich interessiert das ganz allgemein, wie und wo entstanden Bücher, Bilder, Musik, Drehbücher und co. Mir erscheint es völlig schlüssig, in einem Buch über KünstlerInnen keine Fotos zu nehmen, sondern die Räumlichkeiten zu illustrieren. Die ganze Aufmachung gefällt mir sehr. Der begleitende Text informiert und schafft Stimmung und Atmosphäre. Für mich eine schöne Überraschung, in der Sammlung sind auch viele Frauen. Die Kunstwelt wirkt ja oft so, als würden nur Männer zum Pinsel greifen. Hier waren also einige Namen dabei, die ich noch nicht kannte und deren Vorstellung mich so neugierig gemacht haben, dass ich nach dem Lesen gleich in die Weiten des Internets abtauchen und auf Entdeckungsreise gehen wollte. Super.

[Zazine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Studios of their own by Alex Johnson (illustrated by James Oses) is a different kind of art book. It doesn't show you famous pieces of art, but it offers an intimate view of the artists by examining their work spaces, their studios, their creative spaces.

It's the second book in a series, the first being Rooms of their own (2022), about the writing rooms of famous authors. Both titles are an obvious reference to Virginia Woolf's essay - A Room of One's Own - about artists' need for space and independence (physical, psychological, financial etc.).

Structure:

The book is structured like an encyclopedia, with a couple of pages of text and illustrations describing each artist studio. I don't know how the 52 artists for the book were chosen, or why they were presented in a seemingly random order. They're not organized chronologically, alphabetically, based on art style or even geographically.

Regardless, opening with Francis Bacon's studio was an excellent choice. His studio, described as monumentally chaotic, is impressive and awe inspiring. It's content of over 7000 pieces was carefully documented and reconstructed by Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin.

The studios in the book range from some of the most famous artists (da Vinci, Caravaggio, Van Gogh, Picasso) to lesser known ones (like Tove Jansson, Tracey Emin or Posy Simmonds). They span centuries, but mostly focus on western artists, focusing on Europe and the US.

The book also features some inspiring artists' quotes and general information about related topics, like studio assistants, models, muses and mentorship. I liked the text about artists as soldiers and the art of POW.

In the end you'll find useful information for people who want to learn more or visit a specific studio. It highlights the Artist's Studio Museum Network and the Artists Homes, with information on over 200 small museums of artists' homes and studios.

Women artists

I liked that the book showcases a lot of women artists and I took it as an opportunity to find some new favorites.

I found it funny that Vanessa Bell's first studio was nicknamed Les Miserables for it's depressing interior. Or that Rosa Bonheur shared her space with a menagerie that included sheep and horses. How Julia Margaret Cameron turned her chicken coop into a photo studio and the coal-house into a dark-room. Or how Louise Bourgeois worked on her famous Cells series in an old jeans factory.

In a time when women artist had no recognition or access to the art world, their studios were the places where they lived, worked and showed their art.
Sometimes they worked in improvised spaces, other times they shared the studios of their artist lovers and husbands, but their legacy is proof that a space for creativity is essential for every artist.

Final thoughts

The book seems aimed at a varied audience. Art lovers and connoisseurs will appreciate the chance to peek behind the curtain and learn more about how artists worked. For people that are new to the subject, this book is an excellent introduction to a lot of interesting artists.
Even if you don't get to see particular art pieces, you get a sense for each artist's style, personality and inspiration.

I found it amazing that most artists treat working in the studio like a job. They don't stand around waiting for inspiration to strike or that one genius idea, they work constantly and show that practice and experimentation are essential for art.

Time and time again, the studios aren't just where the artists work, but where they find their inspiration. These are the places where they gather (or hoard) materials, colors, failed starts, interesting objects and everything in between.

Sometimes the studio is a carefully curated space - like for Brancusi that made compositions from his works and replaced the ones he sold with gypsum copies as to not disturb the harmony.

But most times the studio is a place for chaos, filled with light, colors and shapes (like the wonderful world of Alexander Calder).

Today, the digital makes it easy to forget the need for a physical space. Most times an artists' supplies are his laptop or graphic tablet. And that's not a bad thing, but something seems to get lost in this transition.

Sure, you can make Pinterest boards and have thousands of pictures that inspire you, but you'll lose the tactile sense, the smells and the real life colors that change with the sun. And you could have a lots of digital tutorials and resources to learn from, but that's not the same as just browsing randomly through an art book and finding something unexpected that sparks your creativity.

This book shows you 52 artist studios and by the end you'll want (or need) your own creative space. It's for people who love art and for artists that haven't yet found their place.

Thanks to the publisher, Quarto Publishing Group, and Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a perfectly suitable look at the working rooms of famous authors – https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... – albeit a book that also delved into the writing and drinking hours of the subjects – this creative duo turn to artist studios, ateliers, and other working spaces. The same applies – it's fine to have a quick visit to all these sites, and to touch base with what was done there, but photographs would have served the inquisitive better. No, that would not have been possible with Hokusai, or the likes of Caravaggio's lodgings, and yes a lot of these are online or visible in real life as preserved relics, but the art here just doesn't work the same for me as a photo would. There are less of the daily life details, too, although we do see the working hours of some of the topics – and learn Paula Rego loved an evening glass of champagne and to watch "EastEnders" – but there are many fewer reports of the drinking habits of the people concerned, the paintbrush being a bit harder to keep steady than a typewriter when sozzled, perhaps.

An interesting range of sidebar subjects – artworks from space, anyone? – and a quick turn-over of subjects (some getting a solitary page of text) make this a nice companion to the first book, and a decent provider of the occasional enlightening browse. Recommended for the art lover, if not more of us.

[Moshita · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is made me miss my office desk. It wasn’t on the scale of the art studios described here, with such respect and aplomb by Alex, It was cosy, surrounded by the chatter of colleagues in an open plan office layout. The head board was shades of yellow and green and blue, which I had covered with magazine covers of previous issues to block out its colour impact.
It didn’t have a window, so I often found myself wandering the hallways of my office, countless trips to the coffee machine just to exercise my brain, nudging it out of it’s writer’s block. it often worked.
I just wish we had gotten to see the actual images of the some of the modern and contemporary artists, instead of just the illustrations. Barring this, the book is a delightful read, with some wonderful anecdotes to balance out the description of the studios, offering an insight into their personalities.

[Erin Sorrels · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much! I was surprised how many artists were new to me. I was glad I had the digital version so I could flip to a different screen and look up the artists and their works. I expected photos of the various studios, but they were all done in ink and color. Each artist gets 2-3 pages on their studios. In addition, topics such as posing for a painting, pets, mobile studios, etc. get a page each. All in all a very interesting book, whether you just dip in at random or read straight through. I will now have to go back and read the author's other work.

[Katy Wheatley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would be an ideal gift for an art lover's Christmas stocking. Brief details of each artist chosen are paired with an impressionistic portrait of one of their studio spaces. There's a great section at the back of the book which gives details of which studios are still in existence and are available to visit.

[RecensioniVere · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dagli atelier ordinari di De Chirico ai laboratori caotici di Bacon, passando per le automobili-studio di Georgia O’Keeffe: questo libro illustrato racconta come gli artisti hanno abitato — e trasformato — i loro luoghi di creazione.

Recensione completa: https://recensionivere.com/11362_una-...

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable read. From those artist studios that still exist, I really liked revisiting studios I'd already seen in person, invariably learning something new, and I've also added some new "must sees" to my future travel list. I would have liked more sketches, or photos of the spaces where possible.

[Kristen Barenthaler · Rating 4 out of 5]

The images are stylistically beautiful and learning about the processes of each of these artists is wonderful!

[Lila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun exploration of various artist studios with accompanying illustrations. I might have liked more illustrations and or photos.

[Chris · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nice cover just a pity that the stories lacked the paper to make more comments on.