In Residence: Charles Gaines
In Residence: Charles Gaines
This spring, Los Angeles-based artist Charles Gaines paused city life for the English countryside as our artist-in-residence. With a diverse practice that spans photography, drawing, installation and music, Gaines’ focus shifted to writing. Alongside an essay for his forthcoming ‘Collected Writings’ publication, to be released in 2026, Gaines worked on a new music composition as part of his Manifesto series. The composition examines the rulings from two landmark US Supreme Court cases and was performed in a special preview at our West Hollywood space, marking the end of his exhibition ‘Numbers and Trees: The Tanzania Baobabs.’
Can you tell us about the body of work you have been working on here in Somerset?
I worked on two projects. For the first several days I edited and completed an essay drawn from my notes on Jean-François Lyotard for an upcoming book on my collected writings. My second project was to develop a new Manifestos work, titled ‘Manifestos 7.’ This work uses as its subject two Supreme Court decisions, one, Plessy V Ferguson (18 May 1896) and Brown V Board of Education (17 May 1954). The text from the decision was converted to music using a system I created. It was scored for string quartet plus tenor.
How has the change in studio space influenced your writing?
This type of work requires concentration and quiet. It was wonderful to be in a large open studio in Somerset and take a break from the day-to-day operations of my studio in Vernon, Los Angeles. The 8-hour time difference limited meetings and interruptions.
Watch a preview performance of ‘Manifestos 7’ (2025), composed by Charles Gaines, on the occasion of his West Hollywood exhibition, ‘Numbers and Trees, The Tanzania Baobabs.’
Have the natural sounds of Somerset inspired your compositions in any way?
My LA studio is in an industrial area and so it was a pleasant break from loud machinery. I could listen to my music playback without a cacophony of exterior sounds.
What have you enjoyed most about your time in Somerset?
Besides the pleasure of working in an uninterrupted environment that was visually beautiful, the staff were amazing, the food outstanding, and the director, Dea, is one of the best, a lovely person who attended to any need I had—even things before I knew I needed them.
Charles Gaines during his residency at Hauser & Wirth Somerset, 2025. Photos: Clare Walsh
Is there anything you can’t live without in your studio?
For this project I needed special equipment that the Somerset team graciously provided. Even hard-to-acquire things like the specific keyboard I needed, a sound system and a new drawing table.
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