RH: When I was a kid I thought that if I could be an artist that would be most like being nature. Being able to do something that’s necessary, that doesn’t take from the world but somehow contributes something that is essential to the balance of the whole. You know, that to me is nature, and that was the attraction of being an artist for me.

SR: So, when did you know you wanted to be an artist?

RH: I don’t know. But being attracted to the arts … I had a very deep connection there. I was never a very social person so I read a lot and I did a lot of interior work, and art was always on my mind. I always sought it out. I felt comfortable in the world of not knowing, no … not comfortable … but I felt I was attracted to that unease. Even when I went to Iceland where there is this discomfort, you know; you're in a tent or on a motorcycle for six months and you don’t know what the next day will bring. And that was never my area of expertise! It still is not!

SR: [laughs]

RH: So it was a real discovery process. But I needed to do that for myself. I was like nineteen, twenty-one maybe, and it helped me a lot to get a hold of simple things like … faith. In myself. So I would say I never really thought about doing anything else seriously. There was one point where I thought, I’m really connected to architecture as well, that's an important thing in my life, but it was really obvious to me that it required social infrastructure, you don’t do architecture on your own. And women didn’t do it at all, the only one was like Gray. Oh, Eileen Gray. [rolls eyes] Give me a break will you!

SR: That’s so true!

RH: At the time she was the only one, you know! Crazy.

SR: And then she couldn’t even hold on to her house, E-1027. Le Corbusier, like, graffitied the whole thing! He couldn’t handle that it was hers.

RH: You know it's interesting thinking about Corbusier. I’m not a big fan of his work, I never was, but the more I learn about him the more I know why I was never a big fan.

SR: Haha yeah, I like him less.

RH: I have a strong relationship with Hélène Cixous and she is extremely opinionated, more so than me, even. So we have a good time! We had got to talking about Corbusier, I don’t know how, but she told me about one low-income housing building he did which allegedly had a disproportionately high number of suicides, with people jumping from the building. I thought, Christ, how appropriate is that!

SR: Outrageous.

Excerpt from Middle Plane Issue No.10 (Autumn/Winter 2025). Read the full interview by ordering your copy here.

Photographer: Lengua