1. Barbara Hepworth, Cornwall, England
Barbara Hapworth stumbled across Trewyn Studio, St Ives and has lived and worked there for 25 years. Hepworth uses the houses outside yard and two large outdoor studios to create her distinctive sculptures made from wood, plaster and bronze.
Before she passed, she arranged that after her passing the property including the garden that she work very hard on should be turned into a museum for others to enjoy.
The studio remains practically untouched and as she left it and is operated by Tate London.
2. Constantin Bransuci, Paris, France
Brancusi is a Romanian artist the specialises in sculpting and lived in Paris for 50 years. His home studio saw many other famous artists grace its walls including Yves Klein and Max Ernst. During Brancusi’s time at the studio he not only developed his practice as a sculptor but also developed a museum so that he could display his works. He arranged his works in groups achieving a sense of perfect harmony. Eventually he stopped making new pieces of art and would replace works he sold with plaster casts.
When Brancusi died, he left the contents of his studio to the French government leaving direct instruction that everything in the space should be perfectly preserved. The studio was reconstructed inside Renzo Piano where 137 of sculptures reside to this day.
3. Francis Bacon, Dublin, Ireland
Last but by no means least in our famous artists studios you can visit series is FRANCIS BACON.
After Bacon’s death in 1992 a team of people meticulously moved his entire London Studio to Hugh Lane an art gallery in Dublin close to where Bacon was born.
The space has been put back together EXACTLY how Bacon left it which was quite frankly a mess! Bacon lived in his studio for three decades and the Dublin reconstruction has even left the layers of dust that had gathered over that time.
Bacon was an infamous drinker and well known for debauchery which the chaos of his surroundings, especially his demolished in progress paintings, extrude.
The relocation efforts of the team and the tremendous accompanying catalogue of thousands of Bacon’s posessions make this a ground-breaking experience not to be missed if you visit Dublin.
