Thanks to the stunning images of the leading photographer and photojournalist James Hill, the book documents Zurab Tsereteli's three studios in Moscow as well as those in Paris and New York. In every location the photographer found something different. At Prechistinka in Moscow, which is also home to his main gallery and the Russian Academy of Arts, the studio feels like a communal space. During the course of the day Tsereteli would sometimes be alone but more often he is surrounded by school children or artists or by friends. The space is like a cross between a studio and a living room, also because Tsereteli does not try separate his work from his daily life, since for him they are intrinsically interwoven. His studio near the Trocadero in Paris, however, is very different. Here the rooms and corridors are narrowed by paintings unable to find room on the wall. It is a much more intimate and private space though, even in Paris, there were constant interruptions as Tsereteli's friends dropped by for a chat or a cup of tea, even if he would barely pause from painting. It was usually only late at night that Tsereteli found himself alone. New York too, where the studio is located on the top floor of a house just to the east of Central Park, is calm and pensive. In January days, cool, steely light would flood the room at one moment and then be replace by a soft, cloud diffused grey. Each time Tsereteli started a new canvas he would look for a friend to paint or an object in the studio, perhaps flowers or a porcelain animal, would catch his eye. There was never any question of taking a break. Even in his 80s there is a necessity, not only a desire, to pick up his brushes and paint
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