MONTAUK PROJECT
In July 2017, our Head of Marketing and Lead Designer made the 3,000 mile journey to visit artist Raphael Mazzucco at his home in Montauk, NY. Located at the east end of the Long Island peninsula, Montauk is the destination du jour thanks to its Hamptons-esque exclusivity offset by a deeply creative and infinitely more relaxed culture. Known charmingly as ‘The End’, it has long attracted the notice of Hollywood and, as a result, Montauk has been a regular filming location and provided the backdrop for a multitude of blockbusters and popular TV series over the years. You may not know it, but you’ll certainly recognise it. The inhabitants themselves are a veritable hall of fame, and the area itself has played host to many of the biggest names of our time over the years; from Pulitzer Prize winning writers to politicians, musicians such as The Rolling Stones and artists including Andy Warhol, among other names of note.
So what exactly is Montauk’s siren call…? Well, quite simply, it’s a place of palpable magic. Inspiration is ever-present, from the beaches to the dramatic clifftops, the imposing lighthouse, the eclectic architecture and beyond. Indeed, if the adage is correct and we are all products of our environments, little wonder that Raphael has chosen to call Montauk home. His self-designed house, as stylish and flawlessly executed as one might imagine, is a shrine to all things beautiful. Nothing is too modern, overtly vintage, shamelessly rustic or in fact occupies any genre in particular…it simply all works together and harmonises to form one of the most personal embodiments of an aesthetic one might ever experience. Our visit saw us tour this cultural oasis, take in all the sites that inspire Raphael, and allowed us the insight to view his world – through his eyes – as a canvas awaiting
86 FINE ART COLLECTOR AUTUMN 2017
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