Портреты

Born and raised in Syracuse, New York, Brian Bowen Smith became a professional photographer by a less traditional route than most. While performing as a pro athlete, Bowen Smith happen to catch the eye of legendary photographer Herb Ritts, who invited him to appear in a Gap ad campaign. Ritts subsequently became his mentor and friend.

Four years spent as Ritts’ assistant helped Bowen Smith to establish his photographic style, and assignments for W, Vanity Fair, Esquire, Self and Interview soon followed. Now living in Los Angeles, Bowen Smith has established himself as a veteran celebrity and beauty photographer, having worked with some of the best-known TV, music and movie stars of today (both up-and-coming and established), among them Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Warren Beatty, Orlando Bloom, Adrian Brody, Cindy Crawford, Sheryl Crow, Cat Deeley, Emily Deschanel, James Franco, Scott Glenn, Ethan Hawke, Demi Moore, Carolyn Murphy, Winona Ryder, Brooke Shields, Hillary Swank and Billy Bob Thornton, among many others.

As this first monograph shows, many of these stars have gone on to become close friends. Projects spans the gamut of Bowen Smith’s work, from personal work to commissioned assignments done over the past ten years.

The definitive book on the legendary photographer's life in New York City, with many never-before-seen images and reminiscences by his closest friends and confidants.  

From the 1930s, when he helped revolutionize fashion journalism, through the 1960s, when he launched headlong into the Pop art era, London-based photographer Cecil Beaton brought to New York City his own perspective - aristocratic, sexually ambiguous, and theatrical. At the same time, New York offered Beaton innumerable opportunities to reinvent himself and his career.

Cecil Beaton: The New York Years features sketches, costumes, set designs, previously unpublished letters, and over 220 photographs and drawings, many in color and never seen before. This volume documents Beaton's most influential relationships with quintessential figures of the New York art scene, including Greta Garbo, his female confidant and muse, and Andy Warhol. Richly illustrated, Cecil Beaton is the definitive portfolio chronicling Beaton's stunning career in fashion, portraiture, and the performing arts.  The book will be divided into five parts:

Beaton in Vogue: Beaton's photography for Condé Nast's Vogue in the 1930s hastened the decline of fashion illustration in favor of today's emphasis on photography. Beaton himself became a celebrity photographer, as famous as his subjects, in the later mold of Richard Avedon and Annie Leibovitz.

Beaton and the Stage: After World War II, Beaton appeared on the New York stage as an actor, and he also designed sets and costumes for such musicals as My Fair Lady and Coco and operas Vanessa and La Traviata, both at the Metropolitan Opera. 

Beaton on New York: Beaton produced many illustrated books on New York City and his tell-all diaries detailed his life among the city's best-known figures. Beaton was also commissioned to produce innumerable photographs of New Yorkers, from Truman Capote to Tom Wolfe.

Beaton on Garbo: Greta Garbo was Beaton's closest female friend  She was also his muse, and his photographs captured her in many different scenarios and moods from the mid-1940s, when she ended her Hollywood career and permanently moved to New York.

Beaton on Warhol: In 1968, Beaton was advised to photograph a group of young New Yorkers, the most famous of which was Andy Warhol and his Factory. In effect, this photo shoot charted the passing of the torch from Beaton to Warhol, two figures who defined their era's concepts of popular culture, celebrity, and sexual mores.

About the Author:

Donald Albrecht is the Museum of the City of New York's curator of architecture and design. He has contributed essays to a number of books about architecture and design, including Andree Putman: Complete Works and Gabellini: Architecture of the Interior.

In the last sixty years certain celebrities have really left an indelible mark on history: Paul Newman, Audrey Hepburn, Clint Eastwood, Elizabeth Taylor, Andy Warhol, Barack Obama, Marilyn Monroe, Picasso, Yoko Ono...This book represents a stroll through this aspect of popular culture - a compilation of biographical photographs of over 300 celebrities (actors, artists, pop stars, politicians, models, media stars) who will always be unforgettable. Illustrated throughout with over 400 full colour and black-and-white iconic photographs.

Charlie Chaplin was one of Hollywood s most pivotal stars. He lived an interesting life both in his films and behind the camera. He is most recognized as the icon of the silent film era, mostly as the little tramp ; the man with the toothbrush moustache, bowler hat, bamboo cane, and a funny walk. He was born in London in 1889 to music hall-performing parents. After his parents split, he and his half brother spent time in and out of charity homes and workhouses between their mother's bouts of insanity. He started acting at 8, and began to tour with a vaudeville troupe that visited America. He never looked back. In 1913 in California, he signed on with Keystone Studios' popular comedy director Mack Sennett. While at Keystone, Chaplin appeared in and directed 35 films, starring as the Little Tramp in nearly all. In November 1914 he left Keystone and signed on at Essanay, where he made 15 films. In 1916, he signed on at Mutual and made 12 films. In June 1917 Chaplin signed up with First National Studios, after which he built Chaplin Studios. In 1919 he and Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and D.W. Griffith formed United Artists (UA). Chaplin was married four times and had a total of 11 children. He is considered one of the greatest filmmakers in the history of cinema.

The first monograph of one of the most exciting contemporary photographers, featuring all of his photography series to date and a look behind the scenes

Since the beginning of his career, Swiss-Italian photographer Christian Tagliavini has been fascinated by mise-en-scène photography and Renaissance portraiture. Referencing the painting style of the Old Masters, his carefully-staged photo portraits exude the dignity and composure of 15th and 16th-century courtly culture, meticulously replicating their dimensions, framing, and chiaroscuro effects. After his breakthrough with the series 1503, Tagliavini returns to the art historical theme with his new series, 1406, published for the first time in this book. In his process, however, Tagliavini takes a step further back from the Renaissance artist ideal, presenting himself instead as a “photographic craftsman” who designs each of his costumes and props by hand with a small team.

Particularly elaborate was the work on his most extensive series to-date, Voyages Extraordinaires, for which Tagliavini constructed entire scenes inspired by Jules Vernes’ novels. All of Tagliavini’s series are meticulously composed mise-en-scènes with a stunning, fantastical effect partly reminiscent of his early photographic idols Jeff Wall, Erwin Olaf, and Gregory Crewdson. This Tagliavini monograph includes all of his photographic series to-date as well as the images documenting the evolution of his projects he spent months working on. The result is both a comprehensive Tagliavini catalogue and a fascinating insight into the working process of one of the most original and talented photographers working today.

 About the Author:

Christian Tagliavini was born in 1971 and grew up in Italy and Switzerland. Before his photography career, he worked in engineering and architecture firms and as graphic designer, as reflected in his comprehensive approach.

He was born Eric Patrick Clapton, but you can just call him “Slowhand.”

Over the years, fans of Eric Clapton have debated the high points of an epic career in blues and rock ‘n’ roll spanning nearly fifty years. Which song best epitomizes Clapton’s skills as a songwriter? Which era—the Yardbirds, Cream or his solo work—stands about above the rest? Where does Clapton rank on the list of all-time guitar greats?

Whatever your opinions may be, one this is for sure: few artists have contributed as much to the world of music as the six-string magician from Ripley.

Put simply, one look at Clapton’s five-decade-long résumé is enough to blow any rock ‘n’ roll junkie’s mind. It includes time with the Yardbirds, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream, Blind Faith, the Plastic Ono Band, Bonnie & Delaney, Derek and the Dominoes, and his own solo discography, not to mention his Crossroads festivals and appearances at the Concert for Bangladesh, the Last Waltz, Live Aid, the Secret Policeman’s Other Ball, and so much more.

Along the way, Clapton has won seven Grammy Awards and eighteen gold, eight platinum, and seven multi-platinum albums—including one ten-times platinum LP. And if that weren’t enough, he’s also the only musician to have been inducted in the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame three times—as a solo performer and as a member of the Yardbirds and Cream.

From respected author and rock journo Chris Welch, Clapton: The Ultimate Illustrated History is a beautifully illustrated celebration of all things Clapton. Packed with more than 400 photographs, guitars, concert posters, and other memorabilia, this first-of-its kind book also houses eleven chapters following Clapton’s remarkable career—from its earliest days to his various work in several now-legendary bands to his stunning solo career. Also included is a wealth of sidebars covering the gear Clapton has used through the years, as well as extensive appendices detailing his complete discography.

Sharing a passion for fast cars, Steve McQueen (1930-1980) and William Claxton became friends early in McQueen’s career and remained close until his premature death. Claxton frequented McQueen throughout his many incarnations (daredevil, dirt biker, movie star, sports car driver, ladies man, family man, etc.), capturing at every turn another side of McQueen’s enigmatic tough-guy/nice-guy personality. As this photo album demonstrates, Claxton’s photographic talent and sensibilities were perfectly attuned to the actor’s multifaceted character. This is the real Steve McQueen, immortalized by Claxton’s empathetic lens.

50 color and 25 duotone photographs

There are products that are different from other products, they are striking and stand out from the crowd. Cult Masterpieces pays respect to these products and presents them on 400 richly illustrated pages. A combination of beautiful design, a touch of exclusiveness and a unique history turn a normal product into a phenomenon - they become cult. They fascinate people beyond all social boundaries and influence the image of an entire generation. From a car to a piece of clothing to a coffee machine, cult products are found in all areas and are passionately revered by many people. What they all have in common, what connects Coca-Cola with the Kelly Bag by Hermès, is a certain attitude toward life that they represent and the inspiration they exude - in the past, today and even in the future.

Across the vast, wind-swept plains of Mongolia, nomadic tribes freely roam - only guided by the rhythmic changes of the seasons. Beginning in 2000, Hamid Sardar immersed himself in this fascinating people's way of life, following them throughout their daily rituals, hunting expeditions, and spiritual practices to capture their centuries-old practices. With a breathtaking mix of color and black-and-white images, Sardar's debut book is a poignant visual journey showcasing Mongolia's last traveling shamans and hunters. Especially fascinated by their spiritual relationship with land and animals, Sardar beautifully documents the wisdom, customs, and manners of an array of individuals, from horse-breeders and eagle masters to traditional healers.

Accompanied by an informative text, this title is a must-have for anyone interested in anthropology, photography, and adventure.

About the Author:

Born in Iran in 1966, Hamid Sardar is a scholar of Tibetan and Mongol languages who received a Ph.D. from Harvard. Inspired by the pioneers of ethno-photography during the Age of Exploration, in 2000 he set out to live with nomadic tribes in Mongolia and journeyed with them for eight years. The subject of four award-winning documentary films, his photographs captured during that time have been exhibited in galleries across the world.

The name of David Bailey is synonymous with photographs of beautiful people. In this latest celebration of his art, he brings together for the first time the best of all these photographs from the 1960s up to the present day.

Through his long and extraordinarily successful career, he has focused on the faces that represents the apex of beauty for a particular time. Like the rainbow, this beauty comes and goes – yet Bailey has spent a lifetime chasing these rainbows and has succeeded in capturing the iconic faces of each era.

Commissioned by the finest fashion magazines of the time, most notably Italian and French Vogue, these portraits include models such as Jean Shrimpton, Marie Helvin, Jerry Hall, Penelope Tree, and Bailey’s wife, Catherine Dyer. But Bailey’s idea of beauty does not end with fashionable women. It encompasses such pillars of contemporary culture as Yves St Laurent, Helmut Newton and Manolo Blahnik, as well as startling ethnographic portraits, and Bailey’s strangely haunting paintings – published here in book form for the first time – reveal at their heart an abstract kind of beauty.

Robin Muir’s text charts Bailey’s meteoric career from his first days at Vogue up to today and reminds us of the ways in which Britain’s greatest living photographer has challenged our notions of female beauty with his own highly personal vision.

No admirer of either beauty or Bailey will want to be without this book.

If David Bailey was the quintessential London photographer during the Swinging Sixties, the photographs he produced in the 1970s reflect a radical reorientation. As can be seen in this superb and comprehensive selection, his subject matter became truly international.

On a major assignment for Vogue in January 1970, Bailey photographed fashion against the dramatic mountain backdrops of Central Turkey. Throughout the decade that followed, he determined to photograph peoples and places across the world that fascinated him. His incisive documents of India, Peru, Japan, Haiti, Brazil and New Guinea, many previously unpublished, culminate in the most political of his reportages – haunting images of the Vietnamese boat people.

Alongside these remarkable photographs, Locations presents the best of Bailey’s 1970s fashion sittings. During this era Bailey also continued as a master of the art of portraiture, his subjects ranging from Salvador Dalí and Mick Jagger to Mother Teresa. His acclaimed television documentaries on Andy Warhol, Cecil Beaton and Luchino Visconti provided yet more opportunities for compelling stills.

Loving the Alien. Behind the scenes of Nic Roeg’s 1976 sci-fi masterpiece starring David Bowie

Haunting, hallucinatory, and with a mesmerizing lead role performance from David Bowie, Nic Roeg’s The Man Who Fell to Earth is a cult piece of science fiction. This book gathers a bumper collection of stills and behind-the-scenes images by unit photographer David James, including stunning shots of Bowie as humanoid alien Thomas Jerome Newton.

First advertised as a “mind-stretching experience,” Nicolas Roeg’s 1976 The Man Who Fell to Earth stunned the cinema world. A tour-de-force of science fiction as art form, the movie brought not only hallucinatory visuals and haunting exploration of contemporary alienation, but also glam-rock legend David Bowie in his lead role debut as paranoid alien Newton.

Based on Walter Tevis’s 1963 sci-fi fable of the same title, The Man Who Fell to Earth follows alien Newton from his arrival on earth in search of water; his transition to wealthy entrepreneur, leveraging the advanced technologies of his native planet; his sexual awakening with the young Mary-Lou; and then the discovery of his alien identity, his imprisonment, abandonment, and descent into alcoholism. Throughout, Roeg coaxed a beguiling performance from his cast, presenting not only Bowie in ethereal space-traveller glory, but also pitch-perfect supporting performances from Candy Clark, Rip Torn, and Buck Henry.

TASCHEN’s The Man Who Fell to Earth presents a plenitude of stills and behind-the-scenes images by unit photographer David James, including numerous shots of Bowie at his playful and ambiguous best. A fresh introductory essay explores the shooting of the film and its lasting impact, drawing upon an exclusive interview with David James, who brings first-hand insights into the making of this sci-fi masterwork.

The editor:

Paul Duncan is a film historian whose TASCHEN books include The James Bond Archives, The Charlie Chaplin Archives, The Godfather Family Album, Taxi Driver, Film Noir, and Horror Cinema, as well as publications on film directors, film genres, movie stars, and film posters.

About the series:

Bibliotheca Universalis — Compact cultural companions celebrating the eclectic TASCHEN universe at an unbeatable, democratic price!

Since we started our work as cultural archaeologists in 1980, TASCHEN has become synonymous with accessible, open-minded publishing. Bibliotheca Universalis brings together more than 100 of our all-time favourite titles in a neat new format so you can curate your own affordable library of art, anthropology, and aphrodisia.

Bookworm’s delight — never bore, always excite!