Francis Bacon's Studio Floor

Tidying Up

Over the last few days I've been going through my clothes, discarding some, and looking at better ways to store the rest. In the back of one of my cupboards I found this tie or belt hanger that I had bought years ago. I always liked it more to look at than to use. If anything, I like it more and more. I gave up using it some time ago.

I'm going to make a print this photo so that I can live with it for a few days. To see if it's a keeper.

John Deakin 1912 - 1972

I came across this John Deakin photo Lucien Freud, in a recent book called, Francis Bacon's Studio. I remember how in the late 70's, when I first saw this image, it impressed me so much that I even tried to imitate it! Deep in one of my files is a print of the result but I wouldn't be able to put my hands on it right now without some rummaging I'm afraid. I would like to find it though. In it I was wearing a secondhand suit i remember.

John Deakin's photos drew me when I first saw them, and now, as over the last few days, I revisit them, they still stick to the ribs. They are unwawering. Here is a portrait of Francis Bacon, and below that Prunella Scales.

Nicholas Nixon

I am often asked which photographers make work that interests me. American Nicholas Nixon is one. One of his projects is to photograph these four sisters every year. He has been doing this since 1975. Bebe, the woman on the left, is his wife. The subjects are always arranged in the same order.

At present, he has a new body of work called Patients on show at the Fraenkel Gallery in San Francisco. If you enter their site, you will find your way to some installation shots.