Annie Leibovitz

Patti Smith and Family

Annie Leibovitz

As promised my thoughts on the Annie Leibovitz exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery.  The overall impression was one of amazement.  Amazement not at the glossy Vanity Fair front covers but rather amazement at the images of her family and her long time relationship with Susan Sontag.  I really cannot say that I would have, haven't, taken images at such a distressing time.  And then to publish them for all to see.   Amazing!

As for the glossy end of the work well they are just that Glossy.   I am sure they pay the bills but they are not her best work.   To illustrate this there were two images of Demi Moore when she was pregnant.  The first was the famous one that appeared on the front cover of Vanity Fair.   The second was a much more personal shot of demi Moore and her then husband Bruce Willis.  This image was black and white of Demi's bump with Willis's hands around it.  This, to me, was more intimate   and loving whereas the Vanity Fair shot was just a publicity shot for a movie that Demi was involved in.   Interesting, the Vanity Fair shot was supposed to be private shot which Leiborvitz thought would have made a great front cover.  She was right, of course, but it still has none of the power of the more intimate shot.

Annie Leibovitz has always claimed that she prefers the images on the inside of the magazine, especially when at the Rolling Stone magazine, than the glossy front cover.  Her exhibition confirms this.   

The best display of the whole exhibition was the two walls which were like huge contact sheets.  They were made up of numerous prints which were probably no bigger than A4.    They were organised in some form of timeline and many were smaller copies of the large prints seen throughout the exhibition.   The small scale and relative relationship to time added to the effect of a great photographer working through her life.

One final question.   Why did Annie Leibovitz's mother insist on showing how flexible she was in many of the family shots?  The captions only explained so much but image after image there she was with one leg cocked up in the air.

Anyway, a very impressive exhibition and one that I was able to get a reduced rate as I am a student.   Now I knew there was a reason I am studying for an MA!