American photographer Larry Sultan, who died in 2009, depicted California-fied suburban family life through staged documentary imagery. For his celebrated 1992 memoir, Pictures from Home, he spent almost a decade photographing the lives of his parents as they journeyed from Brooklyn to California’s San Fernando Valley.
Sultan’s scenes of bright green plush carpets and palm trees, and their accompanying oral histories, have now gone on to inspire a stage adaptation, starring Nathan Lane, Danny Burstein and Zoë Wanamaker.
Larry Sultan’s Pictures from Home
Moving Out, 1988, from the book, Pictures from Home by Larry Sultan
Now on at Studio 54, the Broadway theatre occupying the site of its namesake club, the show features a set by designer Michael Yeargan, and promises to ‘evoke memories of childhood, parenthood and the hard-won wisdom that comes with both’.
‘It’s a memory play. It takes place in a big empty room and then sort of comes to life,’ says Lane, who plays Sultan’s father. Playwright Sharr White adds that reimaginings of Sultan’s interactions with his parents will shine a light on questions around ‘ownership of an image, and who gets to own the family narrative’.
(Left to right) Nathan Lane (Irving Sultan) and Danny Burstein (Larry Sultan) in Pictures From Home
The Broadway production is just one of the many innovative ways in which Sultan’s widow Kelly has been preserving and amplifying his legacy. To date, she has overseen an expanded reprint of the book, and a series of dynamic solo and group shows across Europe, Asia and Oceania, while this year will see the publication of the photographer’s Swimmers series (1978-82), inspired by a Red Cross swimming manual.
‘In all our engagements with Larry’s work, we are instructed by his humour and playfulness, his love of experimentation and pushing boundaries,’ says Kelly. ‘We are exploring new, creative ways to allow the public to engage with Larry’s archive.’
‘Pictures from Home’ runs from 9 February-16 April 2023 at Studio 54, Broadway, New York. larrysultan.com, picturesfromhomebroadway.com
An exhibition of the series will be on view at Yancey Richardson Gallery, New York from 23 February - 8 April 2023. yanceyrichardson.com
(l to r): Danny Burstein (Larry Sultan), Zoë Wanamaker (Jean Sultan), and Nathan Lane (Irving Sultan) in Pictures From Home
-
Bocci and Anna Carnick join forces on a showcase of evocative design practices in Berlin'Crafting Community' is on view at Berlin's Wilhelm Hallen until 14 September 2025
-
The story behind a one-of-a-kind Dieter Rams handbag, reborn by German leather brand TsatsasA new exhibition at Vitsœ’s London store celebrates the ‘931’ bag, designed by Dieter Rams for his wife Ingeborg in 1963 and reborn over half a century later in a collaboration between Rams and German leather accessories brand Tsatsas
-
A Miami pied-à-terre channels Art Deco glamour and endless summerInterior designer Olga Malyev reimagines a South of Fifth apartment with bold colour, vintage treasures and a sunlit spirit that captures Miami’s timeless allure
-
Stephen Prina borrows from pop, classical and modern music: now MoMA pays tribute to his performance work‘Stephen Prina: A Lick and a Promise’ recalls the artist, musician, and composer’s performances, and is presented throughout MoMA. Prina tells us more
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekWith the return of back-to-school, it's back to business for the Wallpaper* team, who’ve been making the rounds at fashion pop-ups and pavilion launches. Elsewhere, we’ve been indulging in new literature and old restaurants, and taking in a farewell exhibition at a landmark gallery...
-
Curtains up, Kid Harpoon rethinks the sound of Broadway production ‘Art’He’s crafted hits with Harry Styles and Miley Cyrus; now songwriter and producer Kid Harpoon (aka Tom Hull) tells us about composing the music for the new, all-star Broadway revival of Yasmina Reza’s play ‘Art’
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekHere in the UK, summer seems to be fading fast. Moody skies and showers called for early-autumn rituals for the Wallpaper* team: retreating into the depths of the Tate Modern, slipping into shadowy cocktail bars, and curling up with a good book
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekAnother week, another flurry of events, opening and excursions showcasing the best of culture and entertainment at home and abroad. Catch our editors at Scandi festivals, iconic jazz clubs, and running the length of Manhattan…
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekThe Wallpaper* team immersed themselves in culture this week, attending theatre, music and art performances and exhibitions at some of London’s most esteemed establishments. Along the way, we may have discovered the city's best salad…
-
'What does it mean that the language of photography is invented by men?' Justine Kurland explores the feminist potential of collage'The Rose,' at the Center for Photography at Woodstock (CPW) in Kingston, New York, examines the work of over 50 artists using collage as a feminist practice
-
The dynamic young gallerists reinvigorating America's art scene'Hugging has replaced air kissing' in this new wave of galleries with craft and community at their core
