Artist by Artist - Suzannah Pettigrew
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Dates2023 - Ongoing
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Author
- Locations London, West Worthing
The series documents artists in their studios. The intention is to capture intimate exchanges with my peers and chronological context in the artist's lives to contribute to the archive; encouraging discovery of artist practice and studio spaces.
During the artist studio visits I capture portraits and still life on analogue cameras, I am fascinated by the details in artist studios, what objects sit on shelves, floors and desks; intrigued by what stories these spaces hold and what’s the chronological context in the artist's lives. I photograph subjects in a fluid manner to create with each artist individually responding to how they want to be captured in their studios and what can be revealed. I have a unique approach as I'm both an artist and photographer with my practice spanning nearly two decades.
This year I have been commissioned to photograph John Akomfrah for Frieze Magazine ahead of his Venice Biennale presentation; and most recently the 2024 Turner Prize nominees Claudette Johnson, Pio Abad, Jasleen Kaur and Delaine Le Bas for Tate Etc Magazine. Since 2023 I have photographed Gray Wielebinski, Dean Hoy, Jess Maybury and Harry Jones; and designers Olly Shinder, A Sai Ta, Johanna Parv and Michael Stewart for Fashion East. I feel honoured to have shared these sacred spaces of creation and experienced intimate and often vulnerable exchanges with my peers.
The first access I had to artists' studios were through photographs when I began to study fine art as a teenager in my coastal hometown in the UK. I feel the importance to continue this documentation process and to contribute to the archive; encouraging discovery of artist studios and practice. Especially with spaces for artists becoming more unattainable due to rising rents, development of suitable spaces and the cost of living crisis.
The initial intention for Artist by Artist was to create an ongoing digital archive of artist studio visits, including documentation of my own artist studios, shared on website domains studiovisit.online and .co.uk purchased years ago. I intend for this to be realised in the future alongside a book as I continue the project and expand to document studio visits across the world.
