DOUGLAS KIRKLAND
Douglas Kirkland was born in Toronto in 1934. After moving to New York, he started his career as an assistant to the legendary American photographer Irving Penn. In 1960, he joined the team of Look Magazine. As a backstage photographer, Douglas Kirkland documented the filming of more than 170 Hollywood blockbusters and independent films. He managed to get close to many cinema stars and directors and show them amazingly naturally in their vulnerability and simplicity. He could create their portraits even though he wasn’t present directly on a film set. Kirkland took photographs of many Hollywood stars, such as Meryl Streep, Peter O’Toole, Paul Newman, Leonardo DiCaprio, Marcello Mastroianni, Faye Dunaway, and Sophia Loren. Works by Douglas Kirkland can be found in permanent museum exhibitions around the world: the National Portrait Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery in Australia, the Smithsonian Institution, the George Eastman Museum (USA), the Houston Center for Photography, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (USA), etc.
“COCO CHANEL ON HER SITTING SOFA, PARIS. 1962”
50X60 CM ARCHIVAL FINE ART MOAB ENTRADA RAG EDITION 7/24 PRINTED 2017 SIGNED ON THE LOWER EDGE OF THE MARGIN BY THE AUTHOR IN PENCIL
In 1962, Kirkland came to Paris to photograph legendary Mademoiselle Coco for Look Magazine. He spent three weeks capturing her every step: in the famous room of the Ritz, on her walks in Versailles, during preparations for a fashion show. At first, those photographs were published one at a time, but then Kirkland decided to publish the book ‘Coco Chanel: Three Weeks,’ containing both famous shots and yet unknown images. In these photographs Coco demonstrates a variety of emotions: she is funny, flirtatious, rebellious, serious, friendly, young, and energetic. Kirkland managed to show Coco and her universe in a way that made it seem as if everything was revolving around her figure: from her personal belongings, dresses, jewelry, shoes, and Dunhill lighter to customers, tailors, and seamstresses. ©Douglas Kirkland All Rights Reserved