As a companion to The Artist’s Room we invite you to follow The Diary, a writing project by the team at Ordovas. Over the coming weeks it will take you into the homes and studios of the artists in our exhibition, exploring more deeply the things that have inspired them, from travel to architecture, literature to music. We hope that it will, in turn, provide you with a source of inspiration and contemplation.
The Artist’s Room Lists
For this week, the final week of The Diary, we continue in the spirit of The Artist’s Room with a series of inspiring lists of films, books, music. While the exhibition brings you into a fictional artist’s space, we also include lists of real artist’s studios open to public. When we find ourselves out in the world again, perhaps you will pay them a visit, learn more about how these artists lived and worked, and take away some inspiration for your own homes and studios.
LANGUAGE AND WRITING
This week in The Diary we explore themes of language and writing. How do the artists in our exhibition write about their own work and about art more generally? How do they speak about their work to others? We hope that learning more about these artists’ practices and philosophies through their own words will prove both enlightening and inspiring.
MUSIC AND LITERATURE
Music and Literature have been driving forces behind the creation of many great artworks. This week The Diary will explore how authors and musicians have inspired the artists in our exhibition to create some of their most exceptional pieces. From Joan Miró’s collection of records, to Lucian’s Freud’s obsession with The Egyptian Book or Chillida’s passion for Goethe’s philosophical writings – this week The Diary will delve into the most varied fields of interest.
ARTISTS’ COLLECTING
This week The Diary will explore the theme of artists’ collecting, encouraging readers to find visible clues and sources of the artists’ inspiration, through the objects they surrounded themselves with.
CORRESPONDENCE
For this week’s theme in The Diary we dive into the realm of correspondence, exploring how artists share their thoughts, inspirations and images outside their art. From Matisse’s beautifully illustrated letters to the touching birthday cards sent by Frank Auerbach to Lucian Freud, we get a glimpse into the lives of these extraordinary artists and see just how important their communication with friends and fellow artists was to them, something that holds true to this day.
ARTISTS’ TRAVELLING
This week in The Diary we focus on the theme of travel, where artists go to find inspiration and how their work is affected by the world around them. From Frank Auerbach who over the years has stayed increasingly closer to his home in Camden Town, to David Hockney who, falling in love with the French countryside, recently purchased a home in Normandy on a whim, follow along as we explore the impact travelling both near and far has had on these artists’ works. We hope it will help you find inspiration in the world around you.
ARTISTS’ INTERIORS
As we welcome you to The Diary we wanted to dedicate this first week to exploring the studios, houses and everyday rooms of the exhibited artists. We hope you will enjoy The Diary as much as we have done writing these entries.
