Portrait: Brigitte Lacombe
29 September, 2011 at 20:24 | Posted in Photography, Portrait | 2 CommentsTags: Anthony Mackie, Brigitte Lacombe, Elle magazine, Isabella Rossellini, Jimmy Fallon, Jude Law, Juliette Binoche, Kate Moss, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Matt Damon, Meryl Streep, People Magazine, Photography, Portrait, Tilda Swinton, Twiggy, Winona Ryder
Photographer Brigitte Lancombe has a way with the genetically blessed.
She got her start at French Elle and often serves as an on-set stills photographer; hence all the actors. My favourites are her portraits, often done in black and white.
Admittedly, she’s not working with difficult subject matter. But it’s no wonder her shots frequently appear in People‘s Most Beautiful People issue. When your subject’s gotta make mere mortals weep, accept no substitute.
Love the show, Jimmy!
sigh.
Get out of Jude Law’s shot, Matt Damon
This face is one of my favourites; she’ll get an entire post one day.
Until then, mortals!
stephwereley
Portrait: Stephen Colbert (again)
8 September, 2011 at 19:48 | Posted in Art, Portrait | Leave a commentTags: Graffiti, New York, Portrait, Statue of Liberty, Stephen Colbert, Venus
Spotted: Stephen Colbert, plastered on the walls of a Brooklyn subway station entrance. Among other places.
I guess once you’ve been depicted bedding Lady Liberty, this is the logical next step. The good Reverend Doctor has been immortalized as a combination of the Statue of Liberty and Roman goddess Venus.
Stephen as a symbol of patriotism and beauty? Sounds about right.
stephwereley
Portrait: Prime Minister Chrétien
27 May, 2010 at 23:35 | Posted in Art, Portrait | Leave a commentTags: Art, Canada, Centre Block, Christian Nicholson, Contemporary Art, Jean Chretien, Ottawa, Parliament Hill, Portrait, Prime Minister
An official portrait of former Canadian prime minister Jean Chrétien was unveiled on Parliament Hill this week. The three-term leader is depicted with a serious expression in front of a sunny yellow backdrop.
Artist Christian Nicholson’s painting is the latest to be added to Parliament Hill’s Centre Block, which hosts a growing gallery of monarchs, prime ministers and historical figures. The collection began in 1890 with a portrait of Queen Victoria, and it was only in the 1990s that a system was implemented to represent all serving prime ministers.
A full list of portraits can be found here. As it continues to expand, the collection may soon warrant a building of its own. I hope the country’s future politicians can make it happen.
stephwereley
Portrait: The Art of Football
15 April, 2010 at 23:12 | Posted in Art, Portrait | Leave a commentTags: Anglophile, Art, Cahill, Contemporary Art, Drogba, English Premiere League, Ferdinand, Gerrard, Giggs, Portrait, Rooney, Sport, Walcott
The Art of Football; that’s the name of a one-off book featuring more than 40 self-portraits by players and managers in the English Premiere League. The book was auctioned off for £32,000 in support of a British music charity.
The book would be an incredible acquisition for football fanatics, but unlikely to hold up on artistic merit alone. The stick-figure sketches simply don’t do justice to their athletic physiques. Stick to your day jobs, boys!
stephwereley
Portrait: Julian Opie
13 April, 2010 at 03:12 | Posted in Art, Portrait | 5 CommentsTags: Alex James, Anglophile, Art, Blur, Contemporary Art, Damon Albarn, Dave Rowntree, Graham Coxon, Illustrator, Julian Opie, Music, National Portrait Gallery UK, Portrait
A friend is celebrating a birthday, and I’m giving the gift of contemporary art. Unfortunately I’m on a student budget, so its in the form of a jpeg. I found it online while researching artist Julian Opie, and it really does look like her.
Julian Opie gained enormous international attention in 2000 when he was commissioned to produce art for Blur‘s best of album. He created a digital portrait for each member.
Bassists Alex James [top right] later reused his portrait for the cover of his autobiography, Bit of a Blur.
Only three copies of the complete set were ever produced, one of which was given to The National Portrait Gallery. The Gallery also owns a self-portrait by the artist, Julian with T-shirt.
Since the album was released the style of his portraits has become so popular that others want to create their own. DesignandTech offers step-by-step instructions for Paint and Photoshop. After failing to find an Opie original in my likeless, I may have to exercise my skills. I want one!
stephwereley
Portrait: SNL
8 March, 2010 at 20:06 | Posted in Photography, Portrait | Leave a commentTags: affleck, Contemporary Art, Faris, Fey, fox, franco, gaga, harris, hathaway, knowles, Matthews, portman, Portrait, rihanna, rogen, rudd, SNL, swift, Television, winslet
Saturday Night Live has found a formula that works. Gather gifted comedy writers, match them up with performers, invite a celebrity guest to join them in front of a live studio audience and add a musician in for kicks. This is what has kept the show on the air for 35 years. But I wanted to highlight another piece of the equation; Mary Ellen Matthews.
Matthews has been SNL’s photographer since 1999. Since then her candy-coloured portraits have become the show’s signature aesthetic. Delicious!
stephwereley
Portrait: Anna Wintour
25 February, 2010 at 16:50 | Posted in Art, Exhibit Bits, Portrait | Leave a commentTags: Alex Katz, Anna Wintour, Art, Contemporary Art, National Portrait Gallery UK, Portrait, Vogue
A portrait of Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour has been unveiled by pop artist Alex Katz. The painting will go on display for the first time in May at London’s National Portrait Gallery, and will be featured in an exhibition of Katz’s work.
The sunny portrait will be a surprise for those familiar with the fashion editor’s professional reputation; her icy demeanor among staffers earned her the nickname ‘Nuclear Wintour.’ The depiction is also notable for omitting the editor’s trademark accessory: dark sunglasses. Her flat stare and pageboy haircut, however, are accounted for.
Wintour posed for Katz late last year, and is pleased with the result. “He used a lot of colour, which I adore,” she said. That’s high praise from a tough critic.
stephwereley
Portrait: Stephen Colbert
25 February, 2010 at 02:08 | Posted in Art, Portrait | Leave a commentTags: Contemporary Art, Fairey, National Portrait Gallery USA, Obama, Olympics, Portrait, Stephen Colbert, Television, The Colbert Report, Vancouver
Television host Stephen Colbert has commemorated his visit to the Vancouver Olympic Games by commissioning a portrait by American artist Shepard Fairey. Fairey received international recognition for his Hope poster depicting Barack Obama.
Colbert spent two days in Vancouver shooting The Colbert Report. Prior to his arrival, the portait was made available for download on the show’s fan site. The image was posted all over Vancouver, and over 10,000 viewers turned up to the taping sessions.
Both Colbert and Fairey have a common link in the Smithsonian Institute’s National Portrait Gallery. Fairey’s Hope poster was acquired in January 2009; a portrait of Colbert was temporarily displayed for six weeks in the fall of 2009.
The portrait donated by Colbert to the Smithsonian
Fairey’s Hope poster
Fan art in the Fairey style
Colbert attended the Games not only as a television host, but as an Olympic ombudsman and sponsor of the men’s speed skating team. No wonder he has such dedicated fans; the man never does anything halfway! That, and he looks good astride an eagle.
stephwereley
Portrait: Britney
19 February, 2010 at 02:04 | Posted in Art, Photography, Portrait | Leave a commentTags: Art, Britney Spears, Candies, Contemporary Art, Ellen von Unwerth, Herb Ritts, LaChapelle, Leibovitz, Mark Seliger, Photography, Portrait, Richardson, Rolling Stone, Vogue
America’s favourite pop tart has been captured in a series of portraits by three of the world’s most respected photographers. Britney Spears is seen through the lens of Annie Leibovitz, Mark Seliger, and Terry Richardson for Candie’s new fashion campaign.
Leibovitz’s version is livelier than I expected- she tends to capture her female subjects in regal poses. But shooting Britney in a serious way simply wouldn’t match her persona. This active pose is more fitting.
Mark Seliger is a personal favourite of mine, particularly when he injects humour and satire into his shots. He’s worked with Britney before for Rolling Stone, and the results were a lot of fun. This is a bit tame in comparison.
Terry Richardson‘s shot is my favourite, simply because it’s classic Britney. It’s sexy, naughty, and a little bit trashy – she fits right in with the Richardson aesthetic. It’s a perfect pairing.
It’s interesting to see each photographer stamp themselves on their work, no matter how famous their subject. Here are a few more classic Britney shots:
David LaChapelle for Rolling Stone, March 1999. Pairing an 18-year-old with LaChapelle was bound to push the envelope. This was her first major piece of media publicity, and it would give audiences a taste of things to come.
Herb Ritts captured Britney in November 2001. Sporting a clean outdoorsy look, Ritts managed to whitewash the singer for Vogue.
Ellen Von Unwerth shot Britney for her comeback album, Blackout. I’m a big fan of von Unwerth, so I’m tempted to chalk up this uninspired work to the personal and professional struggles Britney was experiencing at the time. The Candie’s campaign once again captures her in top form.
Candie’s campaign series highlights the diverse talents of today’s top photographers and the power they wield from behind the camera. Keep it coming because I love seeing their work!
stephwereley
Portrait: Captain Ferdinand
9 February, 2010 at 21:09 | Posted in Art, Photography, Portrait | Leave a commentTags: Art, Contemporary Art, Ferdinand, Football, London, Manchester, Mary Queen of Scots, National Portrait Gallery UK, Nelson, Photography, Portrait, Portrait Gallery of Canada, Terry
The National Portrait Gallery in London has had a stroke of luck regarding the timing of its new advertising campaign. Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand is featured in the advertisements, which have been unveiled just days after he was named captain of the English football team. His appointment was the result of controversy over the personal life of former captain John Terry. “It’s pure luck that we chose Rio,” said Denise Ellitson, the National Portrait Gallery‘s head of marketing. “We wanted to show we had contemporary photography and it really helps us that he’s in the news.”
Lord Nelson and Mary, Queen of Scots are also featured in the ads, which appear in public spaces around London. Each is intended to highlight little-know facts about sitter. Ferdinand studied at the Central School of Ballet on scholarship before pursuing a career in soccer; Nelson suffered from seasickness, and Mary Queen of Scots excelled at her nation’s pastime, golf.
This captures perfectly why I love London’s National Portrait Gallery. The entertainment is threefold; you have the opportunity to learn about the sitter and the artist while enjoying great art. I hope others discover the Gallery as a result.
And as someone who hopes to one day work at the Portrait Gallery of Canada, it’s good practice to keep updated with what your peers are doing.
stephwereley
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