National Portrait Gallery: Glamour of the Gods

I recently visited London, and while there took some time to take in my favourite art gallery there, the National Portrait Gallery. The current main photographic exhibition is "Glamour of the Gods - Hollywood Portraits" photos are from the John Kobal foundation.


As the foundation is based on an archive of photographs of actors, it is hardly surprising that the quality is mainly very good. I say mainly because I felt the images from the 1920's were the weakest of the collection. Some of them were poor quality reproductions, but those that weren't seemed to have variable photographic quality - such as poor focussing.

Louise Brooks, by ER Richee, 1929

The exhibition came into its own when showing portraits from the 1930's onwards. There was a marked improvement in quality, in lighting, and in reproduction. I suppose at this time the studios became serious about publicity photographs, and before the stars themselves became aware of the power of keeping their image to themselves.

Marlene Dietrich By George Hurrell, 1937  

All in all, well worth a visit! If you are in London before 23rd October 2011, then try to pop along and enjoy this show and all the other excellent art that the NPG shows.


For more information, see the Glamour of the Gods pages at the NPG web site

Manufactured Landscapes

Last night a documentary about Edward Burtynsky was shown on Sky Arts- especially his "Manufactured Landscapes" work. I've been catching up with it this evening (thanks Sky Plus...). I have to say that although the photos are very good, and often very thought provoking as well, they have made me think deeply about what we want out of modern society. Pollution in all its senses - environmental as well as individual - is very prevalent in his work.

But the documentary is far too long. It didn't really know what it was for - a social justice documentary or about the artist. In trying to serve both audiences, my feeling is that it failed to satisfy both.

Here is the trailer for the film....

Seven Photographs That Changed Fashion

The other evening, while multiplexing through the channels between programmes, I discovered one of those hidden gems (at least to me) that are tucked away on BBC4.

I do think that this sort of format could be easly adapted to other genres.

The fashion photographer Rankin was recreating what, in his opinion, were definitive fashion photographs from each decade since the 30's.  Now, I had always understood Rankin to be a punk-like, gruff personality but he came over as quite eloquent, not to say passionate, about the task in hand.

Highlights included

• recreating a David Bailey image with DB in attendance and heckling - an example being "I was better looking than you are, you need makeup, Rankin"
  
• Rankin and his assistants struggling to remember what to do with "film" - I was convinced that a camera was going to be dropped at one stage!
  
• nude photography on the backstreets of Paris - a la Helmut Newton..... 
  

oh.... and something for the ladies....

now, what was that about a spare tyre???

A link to the BBC page about the programme.... this may only work in the UK

Seven Photographs That Changed Fashion