from deep in the heart

What is a creative space? We might consider it a place where materials are organized and there is room to explore the art of making. Art critic and historian James Hall, author of The Artist’s Studio: A Cultural History (Thames & Hudson, 2022) has written a thought-provoking history of creative spaces including Victorian collector’s rooms and the sparse units of the Depot des Mabres in Paris where Rodin had two spaces. These spaces were described in Art Populaire as “…poor, severe, but big. No refinements. You would think yourself in a monk’s cell. This ascetic lair demands respect.”