The crucible of creation: portraits of New York artists in the intimate seclusion of their work spaces Since 2011, New York–based Italian photographer Marco Anelli (born 1968)―author of Portraits in the Presence of Marina Abramovic ―has been exploring the artist's character and work as expressed in the studio. The artist’s studio occupies a unique place in the popular imagination. Its environment is both the site of the artist’s creative production and a deeply private, personal space that nourishes and bears witness to the artist’s working process, in a continuous interplay with its location, layout, interior and ambiance. Access to the studio by a trusted visitor provides a unique opportunity to experience the lives of artists working in New York, through their methods, materials and influences, contained within the intimate space of the studio, and observed with an acutely sensitive eye. Artists included : Alex Katz, Alfredo Jaar, Anne Collier, Anthony McCall, Banks Violette, Cecily Brown, Dan Colen, Dana Schutz, John Giorno, Elizabeth Peyton, Francesco Clemente, Glenn Ligon, Jack Pierson, Joan Jonas, Joyce Pensato, Jonas Mekas, Jordan Wolfson, Julian Schnabel, Julie Mehretu, Kiki Smith, Lawrence Weiner, Mariko Mori, Marilyn Minter, Marina Abramovic, Matthew Barney, Mickalene Thomas, Nate Lowman, Pat Steir, Rashid Johnson, Rob Pruitt, Rob Wynne, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Robert Longo, Ryan Sullivan, Shirin Neshat, Terence Koh, TJ Wilcox, Tony Oursler, Ugo Rondinone, Urs Fischer, Vera Lutter, Vik Muniz and William S. Burroughs. Offers a fascinating glimpse into the living and working quarters of some of the world's most accomplished creators. -- Michael-Oliver Harding ― CNN For those in love with the mythic lore of the artist’s studio, where cigarette smoke dances and unbridled creativity flows like wine, you’ll get your fix in Anelli’s book, which includes images of Jonas Mekas’s bohemian, book-filled den and the spooky, still-untouched studio apartment of legendary writer William S. Burroughs. But for the most part, the studios look more modern, more real: they’re spacious and industrial, and often filled with assistants and rows of shelves. Often, they are simply in an artist’s apartment. ― Artnet