A couple of months ago I was drafted in last minute to take some portraits of Anthony Shaw with the remainder of his collection at Billings Place before it moves to a new situe at York Museum. The portraits were commissioned by Historyworks and the York University Institute of Public understanding of the Past, of which I am an affiliate.
Anthony is an avid ceramics collector and has housed the collection in his own home (which has been his family home all his is life) for over 7 years.
It was a fascinating afternoon for me, tinged with a slight sadness as Anthony has had to sell the property to fund the move.
However he remained positive about the new chapter and is curating the new space in a sympathetically domestic style, excited that the public will now be able to see his collection at their leisure.
I felt very privileged to be allowed to take these final portraits in his home. It felt strangely intimate and I felt the palette of pretty pastel and earthy 1950’s colours reflected his aesthetic.