From the Camera Club of New York
Thursday, June 8, 2006 7pm at 401 Projects,
401 West St between Charles St and West 10th St, New
York
At this special evening, Albert Watson will personally
take us through the work at his first solo show in New
York at the new 401 Projects gallery. Titled “A Few
Portraits” and on view from May 24 to June 17, the
show includes a selection of large-scale prints (8 by
6 feet), and hundreds of never-before-seen Polaroids
from Watson’s prolific career.
Born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland, Albert Watson
started taking pictures with a box camera given to him
by his father 50 years ago. Since, Watson has made his
mark as one of the world’s most successful fashion and
commercial photographers during the last 35 years,
while creating his own art along the way. As recently
stated in the Sunday Times of London, “If his name is
not familiar, his photographs will be: Alfred
Hitchcock holding a dead goose by the neck, a naked
Kate Moss looking like a mermaid, Uma Thurman
brandishing a sword in the poster for Kill Bill.”
Though the Wide variety of his images reflects an
effortless versatility, they are nevertheless
identifiable as Albert Watson photographs by their
sheer power and technical virtuosity, whether it is a
portrait of a Las Vegas dominatrix or a close-up of
King Tutankhamen’s sock.
Watson first made a name for himself in the mid-1970s
as a top fashion photographer, and he went on to shoot
more than 250 covers of Vogue worldwide. In 1994, he
published the groundbreaking book CYCLOPS, which sold
100,000 copies and has become a collector’s item. From
advertisements and movie posters, to portraits of
celebrities such as Mick Jagger and Andy Warhol, to
nudes, still life, landscapes, and his recent series
of photographs called “Shot in Vegas,” Watson’s range
is as impressive as the aesthetic forcefulness and the
emotional intensity of his pictures.
His striking images have been featured in countless
publications, Including Rolling Stone, Interview,
Vibe, Time, Newsweek and Life. He also has created the
photography for hundreds of successful advertising
campaigns for major corporations, such as the Gap,
Levi’s, Revlon and Chanel, and he has directed more
than 500 television commercials.
As fellow photographer and 401 PROJECTS founder, Mark
Seliger, told Photo District News in 2000, Watson’s
portraits are “impenetrable, they capture the strength
of his subjects and are a lesson in form and design.
If you ever have a chance to see a Watson print, count
on being humbled and inspired, for he is truly a
master.”
Space for this event is limited so please arrive on
time as entrance is on a first come first serve basis.
Due to the nature of photography work, date is subject
to change so please check our website for any changes.
Admission is $10, free to Camera Club of New York
members.
