Children of a Lesser God, the first UK solo show by Los Angeles-based artist Sage Vaughn opens today at Lazarides Gallery in London. AM visited the artist’s studio last year as he prepared for both this exhibition and the release of hand-painted multiples — the latter screenprinted by Modern Multiples and painted with watercolours. Vaughn’s sunlit space seemed like the ideal environment for working. There was also an additional and immediate source of inspiration right outside his studio: a bird-feeding area that apparently attracts sparrows, finches, doves, as well as the random Sharp-skinned Hawk looking for prey.

See more photos and text after the jump.

Part of Vaughn's 'Ring Cycle' series (Oil, acrylic, iink and vellum on canvas)

As AM loves books, we were immediately drawn to those resting on one of Vaughn’s shelves. Given the style of his work, it came as no real surprise to see publications on artists including Gustave Caillebotte, Cy Twombly and Richard Diebenkorn. The more interesting curveball for us was a hardcover of images by the relatively obscure German photographer, Horst Lang, on the the Ruhr mining area in the sixties.

Books including works by Doig, Caillebotte, Bacon, Twombly, Diebenkorn, Matisse, Sargent, Richter, and Horst Lang

'Butterfly Ring' HPMs (edition of 24): four silkscreened colours, each print subsequently hand-painted with watercolours

Anthony Anzalone (left) assisting Vaughn

Top-left: 'Sundowner Goldfinches' (Oil, acrylic, ink and vellum on canvas)

'Misfit (Salvation)' (Oil, acrylic, ink and vellum on canvas)

Text and photographs by Patrick Nguyen.