photography
Sally Bailes
PHOTOGRAPHER AS ARTIST:
Early Life
Anna-Lou Leibovitz or as she is better known Annie Leibovitz was born October 2nd 1949 in Waterbury, Connecticut. Annie was said to have grown up in an “idyllic middle-class” household.
She was the third child to be born out of her six siblings and raised by her eastern European, jewish parents, Marilyn Leibovitz who inspired the Leibovitz family’s influence of art through her career of a modern dance instructor. Annie’s father Sam was the reason that the Leibovitz family moved quite frequently to many different places this was all due to his position as lieutenant colonel in the us air force.
influences
Because Annie moved around a lot growing up she experienced many different things, her parents explained it as “seeing the world through a car window”, which would have played an important role to the perspective/style in which she shoots to this day.
During the 1960’s the Leibovitz family moved to the Philippines, as Annie’s father was stationed there during the Vietnam war. Annie adapted a very different perspective seeing the war around her, during which time she first began experiment with photography. She took photos of the military base and nearby locals. Even though the passion was there it was not yet a thing she desired to pursue.
How she became interested in photography
In the beginning, Annie didn’t have the passion for photography that she does today. In 1967 Annie attended the San Francisco Art Institute to pursue painting, as Leibovitz had originally wanted to become an art teacher.however in semester two Annie took a photography workshop which sparked something inside her and she immediately changed her major to photography.
Artistic famous influences
Robert Frank and Henri Cartier-Bresson, both photographers who inspired Annie and her journey with photography. Frank was known for a more documentary perspective though counterintuitive when it came to subjects as he shot everyday and famous subjects. Whilst Cartier-Bresson had a similar style of shooting in Europe.
EARLY WORK
During the year 1970 whilst still in school Annie showed a photograph of the poet Allen Ginsberg smoking marijuana at an anti-Vietnam march to Jann Wenner, the creator of the magazine, the ‘Rolling Stone’ and he saw her talent immediately.
By the time Annie was 23 she had obtained a job as chief photographer for the magazine and had complete freedom with her work allowing her creativity to be expressed in every photo. She photographed many artists/bands such as, The Rolling Stones, Elton John and Bob Dylan.
EXHIBITIONS
10 march-10 may 2015
Annie Leibovitz & Hiroshi senju
Forces of nature
sundaram Tagore gallery, hong kong
What she is known for and achievements
Annie Leibovitz was known for celebrity portrait photography the perspective she brought to each individual photograph truly changed the industry the way she chose to expose each subject in the photo was always so diverse and special.
She has achieved so much such as becoming a chief photographer at what is now a very popular magazine at the age of 23, swell as becoming the first chief photographer at vanity fair. She also had many exhibitions and books come out that show her work needless to say she has accomplished so much despite any struggle she faced.
