www.list.co.uk/visualart
Julianne Moore by Michael Thompson
Face facts
In an age of warts and all paparazzi photography Vanity Fair Portraits indulges in some unabashed stargazing, which Mark Robertson thinks isn’t such bad thing
e didn‘t need Princess Diana to die to know we live in a celebrity-obsessed age. The love/hate relationship between the people
and the famous is now more fraught than ever. Fame
has never been so easy to come by. but we seem to take even greater joy in seeing anyone with an ounce
of public recognition suffer. After all. would the
paparazzi still exist if no one wanted to look‘.’ With this in mind. the controlled environment of the 150 images in Vanity Fair Portraits: Photographs [9/3- 2008 should seem almost quaint in its contrivance. Yet. this new exhibition. which could well prove the mainstream art hit of the summer. proudly throws up its starry credentials in emphatic style. But this is Vanity Fair. after all. that‘s sort of the point.
Over the years. Vanity Fair magazine has become
one of the last commercial bastions for high-end. big name photographic portraiture. The exhibition. a labour of love for co-curator and VF editor of creative development David Friend and his collaborators at the National Portrait Gallery in London. lifts 150
w: TEND TO ELEVATE THE SUBJECT IN MAGAZINES As; LUSH AS ouns':
about who you invite to the party. it‘s who you don‘t
invite that makes it“.' laughs Friend. ‘The images
were based on three criteria: that they define Vanity
Fair. that some were surprising or revealing in some way and others spoke definitively about either the subject. photographer or era they were taken.‘
Vanity Fair’s privileged position has meant they f have created a body of iconic images that run the i gamut of Hollywood and beyond. Yet. despite its 1 strong political and cultural leanings. the magazine 3
has always had a big crush on those who light up the
silver screen and this adoration peppers the entire 3 exhibit. While the subjects rarely overwhelm the
viewer. the photographs go beyond simple pap shots. '
Friend rightly considers them true art.
‘(iraydon treats photographers like auteurs.‘ he says. ‘There is a trust not only between photographer and subject but also photographer and the magazine. And that‘s reflected in the pictures. Our publication
. commands a certain respect and that's reflected in the
portraits from the two ages of the magazine: the jazz
era. during which the publication ran until 1936
(before the (ireat Depression put a stop to it). and its re-launch 25 years ago amid the prosperity and i
hedonism of the l‘)8()s. The exhibit is split evenly between the two ages and documents some of the cornerstones of photography. from Man Ray. llarry
Benson. Mario Testino and Bruce Weber to Vanity
Fair’s photographer in chief for much of its second run. Annie Leibowitz. The longlist of choices for the exhibit ran to thousands, and the selection process was a long but satisfying one.
‘Vanity Fair‘s editor (iraydon Carter says: “It‘s not
access we get. We tend to elevate the subject in magazines as lush as ours.‘
ln revisiting the magazine's near and distant history. Friend and Vanity Fair have helped illustrate how portraiture has changed. liinstein atop a mountain in ski boots and shorts like Arnie? I doubt it. somehow. Julianne Moore posed up like a Reuben-esque model? Not bloody likely. What is impressive is the scale and
scope of the exhibition. and while it may not ask too ,
much of us. there are some genuinely breathtaking photographs here. which is all that really matters.
Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh, Sat 14 Jun-Sun 21 Sep.
53 9. t
3i: Foto: Modernity in Central Europe 1918-
1 945 This fascinating photography exhibition explores the rich creativity of the inter-war years in Central Europe using journals, collages, publications and original photographs by pioneering artists. See preview, page 102. Dean Gallery, Edinburgh, Sat 7 Jun—Sun 31 Aug.
* Lucy Skaer The first major solo exhibition of drawings, sculpture and film by Scotland- based artist Skaer seduces the viewer with its craftsmanship and leaves a lingering sense of unease. See review, page 103. Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh, until Wed 9 Jul.
* Paul Rooney “Lost High Street’. a newly commissioned work for the Collective, stars the artist as a tourist trapped on a bus with a tour guide, the encounter playing in a continuous loop to gradually create a sense of fear and paranoia. See preview, page 102. The Collective Gallery, Edinburgh, until Sat 12 Jul.
>i¢ Louise Bourgeois: Nature Study This fertile exhibition of painting and sculpture by the 96-year-old French-born artist, explores human life in all its messy, unforgiving glory. See review, page 103. Inverleith House, Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, until Sun 6 Jul.
* Vanity Fair Portraits Showcase of 150 images from the iconic magazine. See preview, left. National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh, Sat 14 Jun—Sun 21 Sep.
>i= Haptic The Lighthouse’s summer exhibition, dreamed up by Japanese curator Kenya Hara, takes touch as its motivation and consists of objects designed to ‘awaken our senses’. See preview, page 102. The Lighthouse, Glasgow, Wed 18 Jun—Mon 29 Sep.
5—19 Jun 2008 THE LIST 101