Sanford Darling Site, Santa Barbara, CA
The Site
After traveling the world, artist Sanford Darling produced paintings that memorialized the places he visited. He started by hanging his paintings on the walls; he later covered the floor, furniture, undersides of rugs, and even appliances. After he filled the interior of his home, he moved to the exterior, nailing his work to the roof and painting the screens, walls, eaves, and doors.
He called his site House of 1,000 Paintings and gave tours. When he died in 1973, the paintings were dispersed to collectors and museums. In 2009, Kohler Foundation, Inc., gifted fifty-nine paintings to the John Michael Kohler Arts Center.
Sanford Darling
1894–1973
Sanford Darling was born in Santa Barbara, California in 1894. After serving in World War I, he held numerous jobs, including commercial fisherman, Hollywood stuntman, and chiropractor, before working for twenty-five years as an engineer for General Petroleum and retiring in 1959. Shortly after retirement, Darling’s wife passed away, and he decided to travel the world, most notably in Europe and Asia.
Upon returning home, Darling began to commemorate his travels through paintings. Over the years, Darling welcomed visitors and gave tours in what became known as his House of 1,000 Paintings.
After his death in 1973, the house was disassembled, and the artworks and objects were sold to private collectors.
