This week we’re taking a look inside the art studio of Peter Saul. Saul was born in San Francisco in the 1930s, and studied at the California School of Fine Arts in the early 1950s. During and following this artistic education, Saul became known for his wildly colourful, pop-surrealist paintings that have situated him as one of the pioneers of modern pop art.

Saul’s studio looks rather austere in this image -- or it would, were it not for the intensely colourful paintings that line the walls, and the paint-stuffed trolleys in the foreground. The small window doesn’t seem to let in much natural light, but it looks like the overhead lights provide more consistent illumination -- all the better for working late into the evenings. Look at all those paints! I wonder how many jars of paint Saul goes through in regular week of working. It seems like he’s stocked up for months, even years of painting, but I imagine the artist is also quite prolific.

Saul shares his studio space with his wife, Sally Saul. It seems like this corner of the studio, or this room, is completely devoted to Saul’s work on its own. I wonder if the two ever collaborate or work together in a shared space. I don’t see any paint brushes, or easels in this image, so it’s likely that there’s an entire other space just out of frame, housing even more art-making objects.

Saul’s practice has been incredibly prolific over the years, with the artist producing an estimated 800 paintings. Now aged 84, the artist continues to produce colourful works that often carry intense political and social messages.

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