SUBTLE INTERVENTIONS

An hour north of New York City, the 30-hectare Manitoga estate embodies the spirit of American pioneer designer Russel Wright (1904-1976). The late 1950s Japanese-influenced Dragon Rock house and studio, built in a disused quarry, was designed by architect David Leavitt for Wright, and stands as a tribute to his work and design philosophy. Today visitors can contemplate the details of life lived there among furniture and homewares he created and personal objects, souvenirs from travel, an ashtray, cigarettes.

Rafael Prieto, Mexican-born designer and creative director, founder of Savvy Studio, wanted to document and interpret Dragon Rock house in a detailed and more intimate way that aligned with this quiet, private atmosphere. “People always do the architecture,” he says. “I wanted to capture the soul of the house, which is poetic in its details, the way it would feel if he was still alive.”

Wright and his wife Mary cast household objects in metal. Inspired by that, Prieto cast objects in chocolate, a material he explores through the experimental chocolate company Casa Bosques. Researching all the things that Wright left behind – his watch, a wallet, gloves – Prieto recreated them and placed them throughout the house. Working with photographer Clément Pascal, Prieto shot them in situ, documenting an otherwise fleeting intervention. “Chocolate is a medium that I use. My work is poetic and emotional. Chocolate is like emotion. You can enjoy it and eat it, it is fleeting. It is gone and is just a memory.”