In July I attended the Mudhouse Residency in Crete, Greece for the second time. The first time I went, in 2019, I rented a car and drove to nearby villages and towns to make pictures of architecture and surroundings.
Images from my 2019 Mudhouse Residency
This time I made environmental portraits of the other artists attending. Among us were painters, drawers, printmakers, intermedia and fiber artists, an architect, a musician, a cartographer, a dancer, and a playwright.
Film Process artist Lauren Oliver in her temporary bedroom at Mudhouse 2023
Mudhouse offers three, two-week residency sessions each summer in a small village called Agios Ioannis, where artists live and create for their session duration. The village is small and serviceable with a single Kafenion, owned by a sweet family who prepares and serves all of our meals. The village was abandoned at one point, and later some homes were reclaimed and renovated, so it is now a compelling and visually interesting mix of rubble and life. Each resident is assigned a unique living space and, since I am drawn to environmental portraiture, my project choice this year was a perfect way for me to collaborate with other residents and sneak a peek at all of their respective interiors.
Image of Mudhouse Co-Founder Jenny Carolin in her Studio in Agios Ioannis 2023
For the first week of the residency everyone presents a selection of work they’ve made leading up to now, which gives everyone a chance to know each other better and see the context for the work produced at the residency.
Mudhouse Co-Founder Varvara Liakounakou in her home in Agios Ioannis 2023
It is a priveledge to make art and dine with artists of other disciplines for two weeks straight (we did take beach breaks). I am glad to have documented this moment in time and to have had a reason to collaborate with all of these incredible people. We even had a group exhibition at the end, and my copy store prints weren’t half bad! View the full Mudhouse 2023 gallery.
My final exhibition presentation of 15 portraits