Filmmaker Wes Anderson is bringing the legendary studio of artist Joseph Cornell to life in a unique exhibition at Gagosian Gallery’s storefront space in Paris. This marks the first time Anderson has publicly acknowledged Cornell's significant influence on his cinematic style. The installation, timed for Christmas and Cornell's birthday, will feature original artworks alongside thousands of collected objects, offering a rare glimpse into the artist's private world.
Key Takeaways
- Wes Anderson is recreating Joseph Cornell’s New York studio in Paris.
- The exhibition features 12 original Cornell shadow boxes and numerous found objects.
- It will be a window display at Gagosian Gallery, not accessible inside.
- The project is a collaboration with curator Jasper Sharp.
- The installation coincides with Anderson's archive show in London.
Bringing a Hidden World to Life
For decades, comparisons have been drawn between Wes Anderson's distinctive film aesthetic and Joseph Cornell's intricate box assemblages. Both artists are known for their meticulous detail, miniature tableaux, and rich art historical references. Until now, Anderson has remained silent on this connection. The upcoming Paris exhibition, however, serves as a direct homage, revealing the profound impact Cornell has had on the director's vision.
The Gagosian Gallery on Rue de Castiglione will host this special event. It will not be a traditional gallery experience where visitors walk through an exhibition. Instead, it will function as a window display, allowing passersby to observe the recreated studio from the street. This format aligns with Cornell’s own reclusive nature and the private world he meticulously constructed.
Did You Know?
Joseph Cornell's birthday was on Christmas Eve. Dealers often gave him shows during the holiday season, believing his small boxes made ideal Christmas gifts.
The Studio Reconstruction Process
Curator Jasper Sharp, who has collaborated with Anderson for several years, including on his latest film The Phoenician Scheme, is overseeing the project. Sharp and Anderson have spent weeks immersing themselves in Cornell's world, studying historical accounts and photographs of his Queens studio. Their goal is not an exact replica, but rather to capture the spirit and atmosphere of the artist's creative space.
"We’re basically doing what Cornell did, going to flea markets and buying what he bought," Sharp explained. This involves sourcing hundreds, if not thousands, of found objects similar to those Cornell collected. The team is also recreating specific elements, such as Cornell's wall of whitewashed shoeboxes, which held his collections of seashells and driftwood. Sign painters from Anderson's films are even studying Cornell's handwriting to label these boxes accurately.
"It’s not an archaeological excavation or one-to-one model of Cornell’s studio, we’re primarily recreating the spirit and atmosphere," Jasper Sharp stated. "But Wes also didn’t want it to look like a Wes Anderson show. He hasn’t done his version of Cornell’s studio."
Key Artworks on Display
Approximately 12 of Cornell’s most iconic shadow boxes will be featured. These include Pharmacy (1943), a piece once owned by Teeny and Marcel Duchamp, which mirrors an antique apothecary cabinet. Another significant work is Untitled (Pinturicchio Boy) (around 1950), part of Cornell’s celebrated Medici series. Visitors will also see A Dressing Room for Gille (1939), a direct tribute to Jean-Antoine Watteau’s Gilles, housed in the nearby Musée du Louvre. Additionally, Blériot II (around 1956) honors Louis Blériot, the pioneering French aviator.
Cornell's Private World and Parisian Dreams
Joseph Cornell, a self-taught artist, built his studio in the basement of his family home in Flushing, Queens, New York. He lived there with his mother and brother, working blue-collar jobs until he became a full-time artist at 37. His studio was a private sanctuary, rarely seen by outsiders. Sharp noted that Cornell would even "bake things in the oven to age them and give them a craquelure."
Despite his reclusive nature, Cornell maintained a vivid inner world. He collected postcards and read guidebooks, knowing Paris intimately, even though he never traveled further than a subway ride into Manhattan. Sharp recounted an astonishing story about Cornell's first conversation with Marcel Duchamp, where Cornell described Paris with such photographic memory that Duchamp was amazed.
Cornell's Visitors
Though private, Cornell's studio attracted esteemed visitors, including artists like Max Ernst, Dorothea Tanning, Yayoi Kusama, Andy Warhol, and Robert Rauschenberg. Writers such as Susan Sontag and filmmakers like Billy Wilder also made the rare trip to his Queens home.
Anderson's Precision and Detail
Anderson's meticulous approach to filmmaking mirrors Cornell's artistic precision. Sharp highlighted this during his work on The Phoenician Scheme, where he sourced original artworks like a Renoir painting and masterpieces from the Hamburger Kunsthalle. This dedication to authentic detail creates a richer, more immersive experience for actors and audiences alike.
For instance, in a scene from The Phoenician Scheme, actress Mia Threapleton, playing Liesl, wakes in a bed with a vintage nightgown and a horsehair-stuffed mattress. Behind her hangs an original Renoir painting. Sharp explained that such intricate staging elicits a different performance from the actor compared to a set built with less authentic materials. This commitment to detail bridges the gap between Anderson's filmmaking and Cornell's art.
The exhibition in Paris coincides with a separate show of Wes Anderson’s archives, opening at the Design Museum in London on November 20. The Gagosian installation itself is undergoing a test build in a warehouse outside Paris. Sharp mentioned that despite rigorous preparation, a certain element of chance remains. "Lot of things will be in flux until about an hour before the door opens," he commented, acknowledging the inherent nature of such ambitious artistic endeavors.