A few years back I met Rod Titian at a breakfast meeting in the city. Though a charming and handsome man (I actually think he is the love-child of George Michael & James Caan), I was most impressed by his talent for restoring, gilding and creating beautiful works of decorative arts. Rod’s company Titian Studios was founded by his father, and Rod and his wife have carried on the legacy, and over the course of years, grown the business even more. Royalty, rock stars and ambassadors all know his name and like me, are in awe of his craftsmanship.
Early this month, Rod rang me up and asked me to photograph some stones for one of his clients; not just any old stones, but Scholar Stones that he had gilded with gold, platinum and other precious metals. The work had been commissioned by a celebrity known for elegant style, and Rod’s call piqued my interest.
Scholar stones are naturally occurring rocks that have been weathered and shaped by the elements. They are characterized by having interesting shapes and paired with open gaps. The stones have been revered by Chinese aesthetics since 1200 a.d., and are still widely used in traditional Asian gardens and homes.
Rod met me at Shepherd’s Bush station and gave me a lift to his workshop, a delightful den where old world meets new. After a cup of British coffee (instant coffee, milk and two sugars), I set to work. The craggy shapes lent themselves to a moody shoot complete with shadows and patches of darkness. Using just one light and a reflector, we shot our way through the rocks.
In the early 1990′s, I spent a year living in Taiwan. While there, I first became familiar with the Chinese love of rocks as decoration. Mountains carved out of giant pieces of jade, pillows made from beautiful marble, and of course decorative stones placed strategically in a garden to help aid the flow of qi. At the time, I didn’t know that these were called Scholar Stones, and I was completely unaware of the demand for them. Do an Internet search and you can find site after site featuring, discussing and selling these objects. Then of course there is the second question of gilding the stones, and upon further reflection, it made perfect sense: beautiful, ancient, with just a bit of bling thrown in for good measure.
I too happen to have a number of rocks tucked away at my home (I just haven’t had them dipped in gold), as I find rocks to be good luck. If I go for a walk and come across a pretty stone, I’m apt to tuck it into my pocket–I’m the antithesis of “Take only memories, leave only footprints.” Okay, maybe I’m not that bad, but I do find a small stone is one of the sweetest reminders of a happy moment. I have pebbles from a family outing in East Sussex, I have a stone from a trip to Andalucia with Lee, I have a perfectly polished piece of basalt from a hike outside Seattle, and I have a giant agate from the sand pits behind my aunt & uncle’s farm in rural Minnesota. While none are as glamorous as the Scholar Stones, they each evoke a distinct memory of where I was at in my life at the time I found them, who I was with and the land from which they came.
While shooting the Scholar Stones, I was enchanted at how turning them even slightly resulted in a completely different photo. At first I was hesitant to move them myself for fear of having them crash to the floor. But once I got into the swing of things, I was able to manipulate them and the light around them in such a way to create these shots. Towards the very end of the shoot, I asked Rod to step into the frame, resulting in one of my favorite portraits to date.
