There’s a certain silence that falls in homes where art lives — not the sterile hush of a gallery, but a hum of presence. In the book Art in Residence, Nicole England invites us to witness it. It might be the way a painting alters the circulation of a cloister, how a well-worn sculpture softens a modernist line or how the shape of a room bends — almost imperceptibly — towards its most enamoured object. This is a book about how art complements architecture, and more subtly, what it does to the lives lived inside it.
Through 22 homes spread across continents, what unfolds is a meditation on the alchemy between people, places and the objects they love. A ceramic vessel slumps just so on a floating shelf in Victoria; a mid-century armchair slouches in an artist’s New York loft: Art in Residence chronicles a cadre of locations personally selected and framed by the award-winning architectural photographer herself.
The accompanying words are measured – and, on a sentimental note, contributed by the previous Habitus editor Aleesha Callahan. Homeowners speak with a quiet candour, offering glimpses into the lives that unfold among their collected works. Their reflections are thoughtful, sometimes unexpected, and always rooted in connection to their surroundings.
For England, the book is one to return to — quietly, curiously — like a piece of art you can never quite forget. We spoke with her about curating, what it means to live with art and working with the inheritance of Mies van der Rohe.
Suggested: Tan Arlidge talks art
Did any of the objects you encountered change the way you understood the space — or the person behind it?
One of the first houses I secured for the book was a mid-century gem designed by renowned British architect, John Winter. You can learn a great deal about someone simply by observing the objects they surround themselves with. Since there are no portraits of the homeowners in the book, you’re left to imagine who they might be. Julia, the homeowner, has led an extraordinary life – living around the world and working in architectural publishing – and her home reflects that. It’s filled with personal treasures gifted to her by well-known friends; a plywood model on the coffee table inscribed by Richard Meier “for Julia, a piece of the Getty, with love, Richard” or a gallery wall of drawings by her friends Frank Gehry and Aldo Rossi.
Did the act of curating these homes shift your relationship to the idea of collecting?
I’ve always been a minimalist and was brought up in a minimalist home, so we never had things on display just for the sake of it. In fact, if something wasn’t beautiful to look at, it would be tucked away in a cupboard. This book presents an interesting variety of aesthetics and styles of living, and I connect with every single one of them.
Each home has a wonderful heart and soul, brought to life by the things people have surrounded themselves with. So yes, it has shifted my relationship with the idea of collecting – encouraging me to pull out those things from the cupboard that hold a special place in my heart. These are the things that enrich our homes and in turn, our lives.
What does it mean to live with art, rather than around it?
Living with art helps us understand and deepen the connections between past, present and future. It means having relationship with the objects around you – and allowing those objects to have a relationship with each other.
Was there a particular object — small, perhaps even mundane — that has stayed with you since?
I had the absolute honour of photographing the apartment of Mies van der Rohe’s grandson and wife. The home was filled with iconic furniture and objects, passed down from his grandfather. One object that made a lasting impression was an old telescope lens sitting on the coffee table. It had once been Mies’s ashtray and the tobacco stains were still visible.
What kind of presence do you hope Art in Residence leaves with the reader?
The book is about incredible architecturally designed homes brought to life by art and objects. The places we live in – and the things we surround ourselves with – say so much about who we are, and profoundly influence how we feel. These are the things that connect us, inspire us and bring us joy. I hope the book inspires people to start collecting, to fill the walls with paintings and photographs, their shelves with books, and their spaces with pieces of furniture that reflect who they are.
