The photographs are from the vast collection of Alexander Liberman, known to the world foremost as past editor of Vogue and the creator of massive sculptures. Liberman was also an accomplished photographer responsible for candid portraits of many of the leading artists of the 20th century.
More than 50 of Liberman's portraits can be seen in Grand Valley's new exhibit, Artist on Artists: The Photographs of Alexander Liberman, opening January 8, 2001 in the Performing Arts Center, Allendale campus. An opening reception for the exhibit will be held from 5-7 p.m. on January 11. The show runs through February 16.
I tried to select visual artists that are somewhat of a Who's Who of the 20th century, said Henry Matthews, director of Galleries and Collections at GVSU and curator of the show. There's familiarity here and a lot of surprises about people you know.
Liberman (1912-1999) was born in Kiev, Russia, and educated in Paris before immigrating to the United States in 1941. He eventually became artistic director of the Cond¿ Nast empire, which included such slick magazines as GQ, Vanity Fair and Architectural Digest. He is credited with revolutionizing fashion magazines by featuring bold, real-life fashion rather than pretense.
His photographs follow suit. His portraits in the GVSU Art Gallery show world-famous artists in unposed settings: Jean Arp drinking from a glass with his wife, Sophie Taeuber-Arp, caught in mid-laugh beside him; Mark Rothko carrying one of his large canvases while smoking a cigarette; Dubuffet in his messy studio; Max Ernst in his surprisingly orderly studio; Jasper Johns in denim shirt and sandals, laughing heartily; Helen Frankenthaler, standing on a chair to paint a large canvas.
These are wonderful, real-life photographs, said Matthews. I wanted to represent both men and women artists, to show personalities and unusual depictions. I think the photographs speak for themselves.
The show is a first-time collaboration between Grand Valley and Frederik Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, which will exhibit Liberman's photographs of sculptors and their works in Sculptor on Sculpture: The Photographs of Alexander Liberman, running January 18-March 25. Liberman's 40-foot-tall sculpture, Aria, is on permanent exhibit at the Gardens.
Many of the portraits at the GVSU Art Gallery first appeared in Liberman's book, The Artist and His Studio, published in 1960, and in Vogue magazine. Several of Liberman's books will also be displayed at the Art Gallery.
It's a rare opportunity to see these original, vintage photographs before they disappear and go into archives, Matthews said. Following the show, Liberman's extensive photography collection will be stored at the J. Paul Getty Museum in California.
Art Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday; open until 7 p.m. Thursdays.
