Stepping inside the Peter Shire Studio in Echo Park, is like walking onto a playground for art geeks. It’s a kaleidoscope of color and texture everywhere you look. Shelves are lined with completed sculptures and pottery waiting for a new home. Other areas are work zones with active projects being completed for upcoming art exhibits in New York and Milan. And the most surprising element in the room…. Peter, actively working on a massive table sculpture, for a show opening in a few weeks.

Here’s his inspiration, compliments of Shire’s Studio…

This is an actual working studio, which is very different than a gallery setting.  That’s what made this experience so special for me. In a gallery setting,  works are placed on pedestals and are beautifully lit, having been curated with a specific point of view. As you can see by these photos, it’s about creating and storing the works of art, until they’re ready for their next exhibition. That’s why  stepping into Peter’s Studio was so exciting, my eye could do the editing, jumping from piece to piece.  I also felt like  I was on sacred ground,  invited to see the master at work. God knows I could never do a painting with someone standing over me, I need to be in a very comfy and quiet environment.

If Peter’s work looks familiar to you, it’s because he’s been around since the 1980’s. He first burst onto the scene with The Memphis Group, an Italian design and architecture group founded in Milan, in 1982. He was the only American sculptor invited to be a part of this international  group. And several of his pieces were included in the movie Ruthless People starring Bette Midler and Danny Devito. But his work hasn’t stopped there. He’s continued his iconic style,  making chairs and other everyday items, into major works of art. And in case you haven’t been to one of Peter Shires exhibition’s, here’s a glimpse of a his recent show that  closed on Saturday.

As for L.A. experiences, this is on par with meeting famed photographer Julius Shulman in 2004.  Artists shape the world in which we live, giving it life and meaning,  and sometimes a whole lot of humor…  which we can certainly use these days.

Thank you Peter for letting us spend a very special day in your studio.

PeterShireStudio.com