Alexander Girard in New Mexico

After years spent in Florence, London, Rome, New York, and Detroit, in 1953 Alexander Girard moved with his family to the high desert of Santa Fe, where he lived and worked for the rest of his life. This past summer Maharam invited Aleishall Girard Maxon and Kori Girard, his grandchildren and co-directors of Girard Studio, to share personal insight into the profound impact of New Mexico’s landscape and creative community on Girard’s process. They also reflect on their grandparents’ extraordinary collection of over 106,000 folk art objects, assembled over forty years and now housed at Santa Fe’s Museum of International Folk Art. “Probably the most important thing [our grandfather] passed down to us was to be your own person, find your own creative process… Acknowledge the past and find your own way, make yourself modern, make yourself vibrant and alive,” says Kori Girard.

Video by Alejandro Durán/Luma Projects.