Vanity Fair Portraits in LA October 2008 to March 2009

[€uroMeinke]

oh this one's a definite swanking (or two) I think we may put our LACMA AP to good use this year

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

Wonder if the Lohan pics will be there.

[€uroMeinke]

Were they in Vanity Fair?

[Not Afraid]

We went to see this exhibit on Sunday and really enjoyed it. I didn't know that VF had a hiatus for 44 years (it collapsed during the depression and was revived in the 1980's). I really enjoyed the photographs from the first incarnation of the magazine. They employed fantastic (and famous) photographers to populate their pages with intriguing portraits of notable contemporary figures. The portraits from the 2nd incarnation of the magazine were interesting as well, but didn't hold the fascination that the earlier photographs did - quite possibly due to the fact that I had seem many of them before as I have subscribed to VF for a while.

Many of the photographers from the early years are now well-known, respected and collected names in the art world and included in the Getty's fantastic photography collection. That lead to a discussion about the increasingly blurred lines between "high art" and pop culture (and "craft" got thrown in for good measure). For me, having worked in the art world (as well as having studied Art History) it is fascinating how the concept of art has changed in just the past 20 years.

We also attempted to see the Arts and Craft exhibition, only to find that it consisted of one small room full of items and the room was blocked off and dark. It's not something I am going to make a special trip back to see. The other exhibit that we didn't get a chance to see 9and will have to make another trip for) is the Two Germanys exhibition which looks like something worth perusing.

For the LashPair (and other interested in Hearst) they just completed an exhibition of Hearst the Collector and there was a nice book published to go with the exhibition.

Now we need to find another date in the near future to visit again.

[€uroMeinke]

Loved the Vanity Fair portraits and found it gave me the dual feelings of inspiration and melancholy most good shows do. I love the early works, the before the war years of ex-pat artists in France, photographs by Man Ray, it's sad the magazine didn't continue to capture the art exodus to New York and the founding of that Art Mecca. Made me long for living the Anais Nin, Henry Miller life, getting by by witting porn between gigs for magazines like Vanity Fair

I also loved the new pics from 1983 on. I loved seeing the evolution of photography. Yes they it had become a more self-conscious art form, but it moved beyond being documentary to something almost cinematic, especially when seeing the elaborate tableaux of Annie Lebovitz, and her celebrity pantheons.

In any event, I'm ready o start lurking among the artists and ex pats sending occasional dispatches between loosing myself in their bohemian decadence.