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Travel

The Ordinary Places Where Extraordinary Artists Grew Up

Photographer John MacLean captures the suburban and country sites of origin of revered artists.
Diana Shi
Hometown of Victor Pasmore, Chelsham, Surrey. © John MacLean, Courtesy of Flowers Gallery

In hopes of capturing the latent genius of today's celebrated artists, British photographer John MacLean travels the world from Moscow to Mattapan, Massachusetts, documenting the hometowns of famous artists. He captures the minimalist grandeur and brewing disquietude of locations throughout the world. Highlighting cluttered mini-malls and rolling hills framed by blown-out skies, the photographer captures nearly 70 evocative stills within a 112-page book, Hometowns. The photographer traveled to 25 cities, which ranged from towns in Germany to the Deep South of the United States.

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The photographer, who has previously published seven other books, evokes the visually arresting and distinctive, yet subtle style of William Eggleston. Eggleston's hometown in Sumner, Mississippi, is included in the series with a photo of a group of wetland trees, balanced like a trifecta of native species.

In a statement describing Hometowns, Aaron Schuman, an art-world peer, describes MacLean's photography as "referencing and reverberating with intimations of each of his 'heroes', MacLean's photographs are striking original, visually arresting and deeply personal in their own right. Hometowns collectively reflects MacLean's own artistic 'hometown' of sorts, built of childhood stomping-grounds and populated by the influences of those artists he most admires."

Hometown of Wassily Kandinsky, Khamovniki, Moscow. © John MacLean, courtesy of Flowers Gallery

Hometown of Wassily Kandinsky, Khamovniki, Moscow. © John MacLean, courtesy of Flowers Gallery

Hometown of Victor Pasmore, Chelsham, Surrey. © John MacLean, courtesy of Flowers Gallery

Hometown of Victor Pasmore, Chelsham, Surrey. © John MacLean, courtesy of Flowers Gallery

Hometown of Takashi Homma, Ottowa, Tokyo. © John MacLean, courtesy of Flowers Gallery

Hometown of Takashi Homma, Ottowa, Tokyo. © John MacLean, courtesy of Flowers Gallery

Hometown of Robert Rauschenberg, Port Arthur, Texas. © John MacLean, courtesy of Flowers Gallery

Hometown of Robert Rauschenberg, Port Arthur, Texas. © John MacLean, courtesy of Flowers Gallery

Hometown of Robert Rauschenberg, Port Arthur, Texas. © John MacLean, courtesy of Flowers Gallery

Hometown of Richard Long, Bristol, Somerset. © John MacLean, courtesy of Flowers Gallery

Hometown of Richard Long, Bristol, Somerset. © John MacLean, courtesy of Flowers Gallery

Hometown of Raymond Moore, Wallasey, Merseyside. © John MacLean, courtesy of Flowers Gallery

Hometown of Peter Fraser, Miskin, Rhondda Cynon Taf. © John MacLean, courtesy of Flowers Gallery

Hometown of Lewis Baltz, Newport Beach, California. © John MacLean, courtesy of Flowers Gallery

Hometown of Lee Friedlander, Aberdeen, Washington. © John MacLean, courtesy of Flowers Gallery

Hometown of James Turrell, Pasadena, California. © John MacLean, courtesy of Flowers Gallery

Hometown of Keith Arnatt, Oxford, Oxfordshire. © John MacLean, courtesy of Flowers Gallery

Hometown of Graham Sutherland, Merton Park, London. © John MacLean, courtesy of Flowers Gallery

Hometown of John Baldessari, National City, California. © John MacLean, courtesy of Flowers-Gallery

Hometown of William Eggleston, Sumner, Mississippi. © John MacLean, courtesy of Flowers Gallery

Hometown of Ed Ruscha, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. © John MacLean, Courtesy of Flowers Gallery

Hometown of Bridget Riley, Padstow, Cornwall. © John MacLean, courtesy of Flowers Gallery

Hometown of William Eggleston, Sumner, Mississippi. © John MacLean, courtesy of Flowers Gallery

Hometown of Robert Cumming, Mattapan, Massachusetts. © John MacLean, courtesy of Flowers Gallery

To purchase your own edition of Hometowns, visit John Maclean's website store, here.

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Tagged:minimalist artcompositionbiographyJames TurrellWassily KandinksyRobert Frankwilliam egglestontravel bookDesignbookPhotographyJohn MacleanAaron SchumanCreators
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