Who are the American Originals? They are photographer William Abranowicz’s pantheon of extraordinary subjects—artists, poets, rock stars, designers, heirs and heiresses, tastemakers, architects, designers—for whom the home represents the ultimate canvas of self-expression. In this lavish volume of more than 225 photographs, including many never-before-published images, Abranowicz invites us into the private spaces of extraordinary and fiercely authentic individuals, as seen through his inimitable eye.

 Whether he’s capturing the cathedral-like quality of natural light in a New York City loft or taking readers to a rock ’n’ roll icon’s remote Gothic mansion on an otherwise deserted island, Abranowicz’s classical sensibility for light, form, and composition mingles with his innate curiosity and sense of humor, producing stunning, unconventional portraits of the living spaces and workplaces of larger-than-life Americans and European expats.

 The images feature the homes of Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi, Bette Midler and Martin von Haselberg, John Mellencamp, John Derian, Frederico de Vera, Jeffrey Bilhuber, Robert Couturier, Linda Rodin, Cliff Fong, Mayer Rus, and many more. The text recounts Abranowicz’s personal interactions with his subjects and their homes, and muses on voyeurism, decoration, and honesty in design.

 Meticulously crafted and lavishly produced, American Originals is a profound meditation on the interaction between people, place, and space by one of the world’s great working photographers. It is sure to be an essential source of inspiration not only for decorating and interior design but also for ways of living authentically and creatively in the modern world.