Halprin’s almost daily practice of drawing acted as a means to not only record his diverse visual experiences, but also as a tool to engage with the trials and tribulations of war, the ecstasies of life, and the rawness and beauty of nature.
As Charles Birnbaum describes in the introduction of Personal Space: The Drawings of Lawrence Halprin, “Halprin drew all of his life - the act of doing so enabled him to think, to find calm, to solve problems, to heal, to understand place, people, culture, time, behavior and movement.. drawing was a personal ritual, and the images he produced were what he called his “root sources”.. [Halprin’s drawings] are tangible links to the remarkable legacy of an extraordinary person. They reveal his passion, sense of wonder, unending curiosity, inventiveness and humor.. With these drawings, we have an opportunity to enjoy and learn from a great artist”.
Lawrence Halprin interviewed by Charles A. Birnbaum, March 2003. Courtesy The Cultural Landscape Foundation.
Introductory texts featured prior to each drawing subgroup reference the scholarship of Eva J. Friedburg from Personal Space: The Drawings of Lawrence Halprin. Learn more in the Publications section of this site.
All drawings represent a selection from The Halprin Personal Drawing Collection, including works found in public collections such as SFMoMA and a multitude of important private collections. Works from this collection are available for acquisition through CK Contemporary; please inquire below.