In short
Alexandra Fairweather discusses her book Living with Chamberlain and a special edition featuring John Chamberlain’s raw materials and a 1990 print drawing. She frames Chamberlain as a revolutionary 20th-century artist who defied social constructs, experimented with new materials (automobile parts, foam, paper bags, plexiglass), and used color, photography, and filmmaking to redefine what art could be.
Guest backgrounds
No traditional guests appear; contributors/figures mentioned include Rick Owens, Verwang, Solange Knowles, and collectors, plus Larry Gagosian (LA dealer/collector) and his home being photographed/interviewed.
Key claims
Chamberlain’s work connects to jazz history; Solange recognized links between Chamberlain’s art and jazz she encountered in Texas museums.
Notable examples
Solange’s account of Chamberlain’s jazz ties (Detroit/Chicago; friendships with Dinah Washington and the Supremes) and the special edition’s studio-selected raw material.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOChamberlain's Artistic Impact and Inspirations
0:45 to 2:16
Discover how John Chamberlain redefined art and his influence on various artists.
“that he used, whether it be automobile parts or foam or paper bags or plexiglass, wore his revolutionary photography and filmmaking, but also his use of color.”
Creating the Special Edition Book
2:16 to 3:02
Learn about the unique aspects of the special edition book inspired by Chamberlain.
“The special edition is incredibly unique, not only because it has a piece of Chamberlain's raw material on top of it, It also includes an edition of a beautiful print drawing that Chamberlain did from 1990.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:05Alexandra Fairweather:John Chamberlain is important. He is one of the most important artists of the last century. He defied social constructs. He wasn't afraid to try new things, to experiment, and that attitude of who Chamberlain was, was the initial inspiration for the book.
0:27Alexandra Fairweather:Living with Chamberlain was inspired by my upbringing with Chamberlain. Chamberlain raised me from the age of two years old and he was such an authentic person. John Chamberlain redefined what art is and what it could be, not only by the use of the materials that he used, whether it be automobile parts or foam or paper bags or plexiglass, wore his revolutionary photography and filmmaking, but also his use of color.
1:05Alexandra Fairweather:There are so many amazing contributors in this book, from Rick Owens to Verwang to Solange to amazing collectors all around the world. Larry Gagosian's home in LA was photographed and he was interviewed to talk about how revolutionary Chamberlain was as an artist and how so many great artists have been inspired by everything that he did. I was very touched by the story of Solange Knowles. She talked about how growing up in Texas, she had the opportunity to see amazing Chamberlains in the museums there. When she looked at the work, she saw this incredible connection to music, and particularly jazz music, and I was so touched that she recognized that because jazz and music were incredibly important to Chamberlain.
1:58He was in this jazz scene in Detroit and in Chicago, and he was friends with Dinah Washington and the Supremes. The fact that she picked up on that and she saw this connection and this history was really amazing to hear. The special edition is incredibly unique, not only because it has a piece of Chamberlain's raw material on top of it, It also includes an edition of a beautiful print drawing that Chamberlain did from 1990. It was amazing to work with the Asseline team to bring this special edition to life from selecting the raw material from Chamberlain's studio and really manifesting the integrity and the energy from Chamberlain's studio
2:49Alexandra Fairweather:into this beautiful object. The stories are so poignant to hear how much joy his work and how much it really brings to their lives.
From the publisher
In this episode of Beyond The Cover, we sit down with Alexandra Fairweather, daughter of John Chamberlain and Director of the John Chamberlain Estate, as she takes us Beyond The Cover of “Living with Chamberlain”—a vibrant tribute to the legendary artist. The book highlights his boundary-pushing vision, lasting collector relationships, and a body of work that remains as formidable today as ever.
For more inspiration, head to assouline.com, where culture meets luxury.
To learn more about Living with Chamberlain visit assouline.com/products/living-with-chamberlain.
