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
Exhibit Bits: CONTACT
13 May, 2010 at 21:01 | Posted in Exhibit Bits, Photography | 1 CommentTags: CONTACT, Contemporary Art, Exhibit, Photography, Toronto
Toronto’s CONTACT photography festival is happening all over Toronto for the entire month of May. Take advantage of this weekend’s nice weather to check out some local galleries.
I found this image byYeshwanth Babu posted on BlogTO and currently showing at AXIS Gallery and Grill. I quite like it because it was shot on my new street corner. Thanks for visiting, Beth!
stephwereley
Art: Corbijn
8 May, 2010 at 03:15 | Posted in Photography | Leave a commentTags: Anton Corbijn, Control, Film, George Clooney, Joy Division, Miles Davis, Photography, PJ Harvey, Sam Riley, The American, the Killers, U2
Anton Corbijn has recently wrapped his second feature film, The American. I won’t see it because it stars George Clooney, who keeps playing the same character in every film. And while I’m sure it’s beautifully shot, it’s in colour. Corbijn, as both photographer and director, is best is black and white.
Corbijn began photographing musicians in the 1980s, later directing music videos and live concerts. In 2007 he completed his first full-length film, Control. The muted colour palette suits the sombre storyline, and the result is beautiful.
Corbijn’s work is the subject of a documentary film, Shadow Play: the making of Anton Corbijn. A screening will be held on Sunday, May 9 at Bloor Cinema in Toronto as part of the HotDocs festival.
stephwereley
Exhibit Bits VI
8 May, 2010 at 02:09 | Posted in Exhibit Bits | Leave a commentTags: Cannes, Contemporary Art, Ellen von Unwerth, Exhibit, John Fleuvog, Museum of Vancouver, Paris, Photography, Richard Kern, Ryan McGinley, Studio Gallery, Style, Toronto, Vice
A Richard Kern retrospective opened at Toronto’s Studio Gallery on May 1. The photographer’s images often appear alongside Ryan McGinley‘s in Vice. I plan to see it this weekend, as the gallery is located just around the corner from my new apartment.
An Ellen von Unwerth exhibit went on display yesterday in Paris. Timed to coincide with the Cannes International Film Festival, Ellen’Cinema will feature the photographer’s images of well-known actors and actresses.
The Foundation Beyeler has amassed a collection of work by Jean-Michel Basquiat that is said to be the largest European retrospective ever held for the American street artist. The exhibition opens in Switzerland on Sunday, May 9.
Fox, Fluevog & Friends opens at the Museum of Vancouver on Friday, May 14 with over 100 pairs of the designers’ shoes on display. Peter Fox and John Fluevog began their collaboration in 1970, resulting in shoes that were simultaneously retro and fashion-forward.
stephwereley
Art: Exhibit Bits [Warhol Edition]
6 April, 2010 at 02:22 | Posted in Art, Exhibit Bits, Photography | Leave a commentTags: Art, Brooklyn Museum, Jerry Hall, NYC, Photography, Playboy, Steven Kasher Gallery, Warhol, Warhol Museum
The world’s most famous pop artist continues to extend his 15 minutes of fame.
The Brooklyn Museum will host a major exhibition of his mature works this summer in Andy Warhol: The Last Decade.
Elsewhere in the five boroughs, Chelsea’s Steven Kasher Gallery is currently displaying over 70 previously unseen Warhol photographs. The photos were chosen by Warhol to appear in a book, but it was cancelled in 1979. The project has been revived and will be published this year as Andy Warhol: Unexposed Exposures.
Back in Pittsburgh, the Warhol Museum is hosting Playboy Redux: Contemporary Artists Interpret the Iconic Playboy Bunny. The exhibit is part of ongoing events celebrating the magazine’s 50th anniversary.
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
Portrait: Sam Taylor-Wood
30 January, 2010 at 05:05 | Posted in Art, Photography, Portrait | Leave a commentTags: Art, Beckham, Brit Pop, Contemporary Art, Emin, Hirst, Photography, Portrait, YAB
Artist Sam Taylor-Wood is currently attending the Sundance Film Festival in support of her feature-length directorial debut. Nowhere Boy depicts John Lennon’s Liverpool childhood.
Back in the 1990s, Taylor-Wood was part of a group of artists collectively dubbed the Young British Artists‘ group. No doubt influenced by the Brit Pop phenomenon, the joint exhibits of various talented artists were recognized en masse by the media. The result was the heralding of a new generation of art celebrities. High-profile members included Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin, and Taylor-Wood. She was recognized for her work with a Turner Prize nomination in 1997.
Taylor-Wood frequently created self-portraits. Among her most well-known is Self-portrait in single-breasted suit with hare, which references the artists’s renewed passion for life following a bout with cancer and subsequent mastectomy. A more recent series, Suspended, depicts a disregard for weight and gravity. I came across quite a few people on the web who were touched by her defiant images. The message for many seems to be, ‘let go.’
I had to include this last work simply because I love the story behind it. Taylor-Wood was commissioned to produce a Beckham portrait for the National Portrait Gallery, and struggled with the challenge of capturing one of world’s most photographed men in an original way. She did so by filming his afternoon nap.
stephwereley
Art: Mapplethorpe
19 January, 2010 at 22:14 | Posted in Art, Photography, Portrait | Leave a commentTags: Art, Contemporary Art, Kate Moss, Klein, Mapplethorpe, Photography, Portrait, Smith, Wahlberg
Patti Smith is releasing a book about her friendship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. They met in 1967, when Smith was 20 and Mapplethorpe was 21. They would remain close until his death in 1989.
Smith witnessed the scope of Mapplethorpe’s career from its early beginnings. He is best know for his work of flower arrangements, personal portraits and sexually-charged nudes. All were done exclusively in black-and-white film. I feel that his portraits may have been the inspiration for Calvin Klein ads in the ’90s; Mapplethorpe’s aesthetic depicted muscular men and waif-like females with defiant gazes. Perhaps they inspired the pairing of Kate Moss and Mark Wahlberg?
Here’s a quick [G-rated] introduction to his work:
Smith’s book, entitled Just Kids, was released today.
stephwereley
Art: Ryan McGinley
16 January, 2010 at 04:19 | Posted in Art, Photography | 1 CommentTags: Art, Photography, Pringle, Ryan McGinley, Style, Tilda Swinton, Vice
Art and fashion have once again collided in Pringle of Scotland’s new advertising campaign. The classic label has recruited American photographer Ryan McGinley and Scottish actress Tilda Swinton to collaborate on the new advertising campaign, complete with a mini movie. It features spring/summer formal wear and lots of wild Scottish landscapes.
But back to McGinley. Despite his youth, he managed to garner an enormous amount of respect in a very short time. Although he’s been doing a lot of fashion portfolios as of late, I’m best acquainted with his work for Vice Magazine. A reoccuring theme of his is people in nature, frequently nude. The results are photos that suggest dreamy fantasy worlds. Check it out.
stephwereley
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