Leibovitz has produced some of the most famous and memorable photographs of well know figures such as Demi Moore, Al Pacino, Nicole Kidman. These photographs manage to capture the persons character and she is able to capture the individual as a whole not just their image.
The reportage work Leibovitz has done is very compelling and eye opening in some cases. The exhibition showcases some of this work such as the powerful photographs taken in Sarajevo in the early 1990's. Also images from Hillary Clinton's election to the US Senate.
The personal photographs from Leibovitz in the exhibition show very close memories and emotional moments through her life such as the birth of her children, vacations, close friends. There are some very emotional photographs of her ageing father as well as photographs of her partner Suzan as she fought cancer.
Some of the photographs exhibited are from her work with magazines such as Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair and Vogue, she became the chief photographer for Rolling Stone in 1973. Leibovitz has also created influential advertising campaigns for American Express, Gap and the TV series The Sopranos.
Leibovitz work is very inspirational as tells a story or shows a character in an intriguing way. For her nothing is off limits she lives as a photographer in that she takes photographs of her entire life, capturing her life in film. Her reportage work is also breathtaking, the image of the blood marks on the wall from the South African massacre was heart wrenching yet illustrated the devastation very well. The Annie Leibovitz exhibition is a great summary of her life work and shows her diverseness and her great talent.
Anni Leibovitz Documentary
"Interesting to keep recording to see what a life is..." (Annie Leibovitz). She is very passionate and enthusiastic about her work. "She puts a stamp on the picture" Editor-in-chief Vogue. If you were in rock and roll Leibovitz was the person to go to. Acknowledged as the best in her field.
"Saw the world through a ready made frame, the car window", lived in the car for a period when younger. Mother was very keen to take photo's of family and they were very special.
Robert Frank and Henri Cartio-Barzon were her inspiration, made photography portable and fluid, how she learnt to take pictures. when she started working with Rolling Stone she said it was a totally different experience because she had to work with others, art director and writer. She was so highly thought of after her great work with John Lenon and Yoko Omo that they gave her the space to do what she wanted and take her own direction.
"A lot can happen between the main moments", she captured some great political photography because she was able to capture the real story and the rawness of the person or situation. "To get the best photos you had to be involved in what was going on..." she got fully involved in the subject she was photographing. She always made herself one of the gang and emerged herself in what was going on.
Went on tour with Rolling Stones to be their photographer. She conveyed what happened behind the stage, captured moments no other photographers had ever done.
Barbra Morgan was a dance photographer that Leibovitz found inspiration from. She liked photographing dance because her mother was a dancer. Dancers she photographed said they would forget she was there, she would put herself in their world. She did realise that you can't photograph dance, you could only capture a moment.
Richard Aveon another photographer that she found inspiration from.
Through her career she started to realise that she could incorporate part of their life and their poetry. She made portraits that told the persons story and their personalities. She did it with lots of style and simplicity. She would work with the subject and not direct them and push her ideas on them.
She became involved in drugs because of the environment she was working in, Rolling Stone magazine. She thought it made her work practice better when it was really the demise of her work. She was able to find help and go into rehab and never went back.
Editor and Chief of vanity fair said she was very demanding. The photo's she was taking for Vanity Fair were different because she had to take beautiful photographs.
Leibovitz work provoked people, her picture of Demi Moore pregnant and nude.
Editor and Chief of Vogue said she produced such great photographs because she cared. Everyone knew this and everyone wanted to be photographed by her. As she became more famous she was able to get whatever she wanted to create her photos like planes, rain, marching bands.
Susan became Annie's partner and because Susan was very academic and intellectual that this rubbed off on Leibovitz work. She got Leibovitz to go to Sarajevo and photograph the devastation over there in this war situation.
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