Christian Witkin

Last updated
WITKIN PORTRAIT VICTOR GIGANTI NYC 2015.jpg

Christian Witkin (American, born October 15, 1966, in Manchester, England) is a New York based fashion and portrait photographer. He is well known for capturing revealing moments of celebrities - including President Barack Obama, [1] Meredith Vieira, [2] Steve Jobs, [3] Lil' Kim, [4] Quentin Tarantino, [5] Foxy Brown, and Christopher Hitchens [6] - as well as for his extensive campaigns for Gap Inc., Vanity Fair, [7] and People. [8] [9] His work is described as "iconic, beautiful portraiture defined by a refined yet approachable point of view." [10]

Contents

Career

Born to a Dutch mother and an American father in Manchester, Witkin was raised in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. During his childhood he was exposed to a wide range of art and culture by his painter father which inspired him to become a photographer. [11] He relocated to New York in 1984 to study photography at Syracuse University, after which he moved to New York City, where he began working with Peter Lindbergh, Bruce Weber, and Annie Leibovitz.

In 1993, Witkin was introduced to George Pitts [12] - a photo editor at the then new Vibe Magazine - which launched his professional career. During his time at Vibe, Witkin would score critical success and recognition for his work which included capturing Quincy Jones, 50 Cent, [13] Nas, Eve, [14] Rakim, [15] and numerous other stars in a style that combined intimate portraiture with blazing glamour. Concurrent with this work, a series of street portraits commissioned by New York Magazine would also attract major plaudits leading to a long association with the organization [16] and entry to working with the most exclusive magazines in the world. In 1996, New York Times Magazine would honour him in its list of the world's leading photographers, 100 Years of Pictures; WHO'S WHO. [17]

Cultivating a working relationship with Gary Koepke led Witkin to pitching Gap Inc. his concept for a new marketing campaign featuring rising and iconic stars. This concept was embraced and implemented at Witkin's studio in Manhattan's Meat Packing District, photographing under a large skylight into a three walled "room" with old planked floors. Met with great popular acclaim, this approach would define Gap's marketing slant for the next eight years. Participating stars in this campaign included Danny Glover, Nathan Lane, Sarah Jessica Parker, Scarlett Johansson, Anjelica Huston, Don Cheadle, Rosanna Arquette with Patricia Arquette, and Tatum O'Neal with Ryan O'Neal. [18] In addition to his work with Hollywood celebrities, [19] Witkin has worked extensively with dancers and dance companies including, Stephen Petronio, Merce Cunningham Dance Company, [20] Paul Taylor Dance Company, [21] American Ballet Theatre, The Royal Ballet, and New York City Ballet. [22]

His work has appeared in most major magazines including: Vogue (American, British, German, Spanish and Japanese editions), Elle, O, The Oprah Magazine , [23] W , Harper's Bazaar , Slate , Vanity Fair , The New York Times , [24] The New York Times Magazine , Interview Magazine , [25] Wall Street Journal , [26] NY Magazine , [27] People Magazine , [28] Women's Health , [29] The London Sunday Times , Arena , and i-D . His advertising clients include Gucci, Gap, Nike, IBM, American Express, Microsoft, Philips, Calvin Klein, and Shinola. [30] His portrait commission list is a versatile constellation of stars including: Snoop Dogg, Diane von Fürstenberg, Bruce Willis, Martha Stewart, Chaka Khan, Javier Bardem, Padma Lakshmi, Matt Damon, Gabourey Sidibe, Christian Bale, Beverly Johnson, LL Cool J, Michael Douglas with Kirk Douglas, [31] The Olsen Twins, Lenny Kravitz, Julia Stiles, Ashton Kutcher, [32] Chloë Sevigny, Marilyn Manson, and Gloria Steinem.

Much of Witkin's distinctive style has been developed during his travels throughout the world - specifically India, Thailand, and Ethiopia - and his willingness to "take himself outside of his comfort zone." [33] For his commercial work, Witkin shoots digitally, while preferring film of different formats - 8x10, 4x5, and Rolleiflex; 6x6 - for studio work. His oeuvre has been shown in numerous exhibits and museums internationally and - in addition to being collected in numerous catalogs - has been published in a number of books. Witkin is preparing several bodies of work into monographs, notably "Ordinary Beauty" a book dedicated to female beauty in the form of nudes, portraits and fragments.

Personal life

Witkin's father, award-winning American figurative painter and art professor Jerome Witkin, and uncle, American photographer Joel-Peter Witkin, are identical twins. Witkin has a daughter, India Witkin (b.1996). A longtime resident of New York, he relocated to Los Angeles, CA in March 2018.

Related Research Articles

Vanity Fair is an American monthly magazine of popular culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alvin Ailey</span> American dancer and activist (1931–1989)

Alvin Ailey Jr. was an American dancer, director, choreographer, and activist who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT). He created AAADT and its affiliated Alvin Ailey American Dance Center as havens for nurturing Black artists and expressing the universality of the African-American experience through dance.

Donald Edward Newhouse is an American billionaire heir and business magnate. He owns Advance Publications, founded by his father, Samuel Irving Newhouse Sr., in 1922, whose properties include Condé Nast, dozens of newspapers across the US, cable company Bright House Networks and a controlling stake in Discovery Communications. According to Bloomberg Billionaires Index, he has an estimated net worth of $19.4 billion. He resides in New York City.

Samuel Irving "S.I." Newhouse Jr. was an American heir to a substantial magazine and media business. Together with his brother Donald, he owned Advance Publications, founded by their late father in 1922, whose properties include Condé Nast, dozens of newspapers across the United States, former cable company Bright House Networks, and a controlling stake in Discovery Communications.

Capezio is the trade name of Capezio Ballet Makers Inc., an American manufacturer of dance shoes, apparel and accessories.

Benjamin Oliver Anthony Watts is a British-born photographer based in New York City, whose work has been published in various international fashion magazines, such as Elle, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Vanity Fair, and Condé Nast Traveller.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annie Leibovitz</span> American photographer (born 1949)

Anna-Lou Leibovitz is an American portrait photographer best known for her engaging portraits, particularly of celebrities, which often feature subjects in intimate settings and poses. Leibovitz's Polaroid photo of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, taken five hours before Lennon's murder, is considered one of Rolling Stone magazine's most famous cover photographs. The Library of Congress declared her a Living Legend, and she is the first woman to have a feature exhibition at Washington's National Portrait Gallery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inez and Vinoodh</span> Dutch fashion photographer duo

Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin are a Dutch-American fashion photographer duo, whose work has been featured in fashion magazines and advertising campaigns. They also produce independent art work.

<i>Holiday</i> (magazine)

Holiday was an American travel magazine published from 1946 to 1977, whose circulation grew to more than one million subscribers at its height. The magazine employed writers such as Truman Capote, Joan Didion, Lawrence Durell, James Michener, and E. B. White.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Markus Klinko</span>

Markus Klinko is an international fashion/celebrity photographer. and director,

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Serge Becker</span> Swiss designer

Serge Becker is a Swiss creative director, nightlife and hospitality designer, and impresario. He is known for his irreverent approach to design, adventurous programming of venues, and a multicultural audience. Becker is part of a second wave of New York City restaurateurs, that incorporated nightlife and theatrical elements into their design driven venues. A tightly curated guest list, staff casting, styling, and expert music selection were essential elements to this generation of hospitality operators, in addition to the traditional culinary focus. Becker in particular is known for using vernacular design references and transforming previously “undesirable spaces and locations” with a Cinderella effect. Becker was dubbed a “Cultural Engineer” by André Balazs in the New York Times for his innovative creations and prescient timing.

Matthew Salacuse is an American photographer from New York City. His portraits of celebrities and musicians have been published by VICE Magazine, New York Mag, Rolling Stone, and The New York Times. Salacuse attended NYU.

Max Waldman (1919-1981) was a dance and theater photographer who was also well known for his dramatic shots on a great range of subjects from football players to immigrants. The photographer became best known for his portraits of such celebrated ballet dancers as Mikhail Baryshnikov and Natalia Makarova through his books, including "Waldman on Theater" and "Waldman on Dance." Contemporary photographers such as Daniel Nicoletta, was influenced by Waldman. His photographs were exhibited in numerous group and one man shows in a wide variety of venues, including; the New York Public Library, the La Jolla Museum of Art, and the Rose Museum of Brandeis University. His work is also found as part of many private and public collections, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the George Eastman House.

John McDonald is a restaurateur and entrepreneur based in New York City. He is the founder and CEO of Mercer Street Hospitality, and co-founder of Tasting Table Media.

Paul Gardner is an American writer and filmmaker living in New York City.

Karen Brown is an American ballerina, educator, répétiteur, ballet mistress, and director. She is noted for her long career as a principal dancer with the Dance Theatre of Harlem and as the first African-American woman to lead a ballet company.

Erin Patrice O’Brien is a portrait and reportage photographer based in Brooklyn, New York. She has extensively photographed the entertainment industry.

Dario Calmese is the first African American to photograph the cover of Vanity Fair. He is an artist and podcaster originally from Missouri. Calmese is the host of the podcast, Institute of Black Imagination.

Juli Weiner is an American writer known for her work on the HBO show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.

James Emmerman is a New York City-based photographer whose work spans editorial, fashion, photojournalism, and portrait photography. In 2018, he was named a PDN Emerging photographer. Emmerman has shot for The New York Times, Forbes,Billboard, W Magazine, and Vogue and commercially for Nike, Equinox, Dion Lee, and Matte Projects.

References

  1. Traub, James (2007-11-04). "Barack Obama - Presidential Election of 2008 - Foreign Policy". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  2. Belkin, Lisa (2006-08-13). "Her Morning Shift". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  3. "Art Department - Photography - Christian Witkin". art-dept.com. Archived from the original on 2017-08-22. Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  4. "Hardcore Honey: bell hooks Goes on the Down Low with Lil Kim". PAPERMAG. 2014-07-11. Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  5. "Celebrity Portraits by Christian Witkin". photogrist.com. Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  6. "August | 2015 |". provokinghitchens.com. Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  7. Magazine, Vanity Fair. "Search". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  8. "Christian Witkin for People Magazine". Art Department >> Work >> Our blog for news, recent work and upcoming events. Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  9. "Anna Chlumsky on Her Body Eight Months Post-Baby: 'I'm Just Finally Recognizing Myself'". PEOPLE.com. 2017-04-25. Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  10. "Meet the Photographer behind our Latest campaign—Christian Witkin's First time in Detroit | The Journal". www.shinola.com. Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  11. "Christian Witkin". Cool Hunting. Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  12. American Photo. August 1995.
  13. Vibe. Vibe Media Group. September 2003.
  14. Vibe. Vibe Media Group. February 2000.
  15. Vibe. Vibe Media Group. January 1998.
  16. "Sitewide Search - christian witkin -- New York Magazine". nymag.com. Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  17. "100 Years of Pictures;WHO'S WHO". The New York Times. 1996-06-09. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  18. "Cityist Spotlight - Christian Witkin". spidey6965.fatcow.com. Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  19. "Pinterest". Pinterest. Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  20. "After a 20-Year Hiatus, a Redesigned Cult Magazine for Dance Lovers Returns". Slate. 2016-07-29. ISSN   1091-2339 . Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  21. "Contemporary Photography in a Cyber Gallery - The New York Sun". www.nysun.com. Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  22. "Taking Flight". NYMag.com. Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  23. "Wassner Twins Appear In O, The Oprah Magazine As 'Women On The Rise' | Triathlete.com". Triathlete.com. 2010-04-13. Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  24. Kourlas, Gia (2016-07-24). "Sidestepping the Web, Dance Ink Is 'a Performance in Print'". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  25. "Search results for christian witkin - Interview Magazine". www.interviewmagazine.com. Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  26. Wolfe, Alexandra (2014-10-24). "Marina Abramovic Is Still Pushing Buttons and Limits". Wall Street Journal. ISSN   0099-9660 . Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  27. "Orders of Grief". NYMag.com. Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  28. "Why a Heartbroken Mother Decided to Donate Her Late Son's Face to a Burn Victim: 'I Have to Make Sure He Lives on Forever'". PEOPLE.com. 2016-11-28. Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  29. "New Style: Go With the Flow". Women's Health. 2011-03-04. Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  30. "ISSUE #4 CONTRIBUTORS | Aleim Magazine Issue4". aleim.com. Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  31. "A Few Good Men..." Pinterest. Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  32. "25 Celebs You Probably Forgot Modeled For The Gap In The Early 2000s". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  33. Resource Magazine (2012-05-23), Interview with photographer Christian Witkin, archived from the original on 2021-12-12, retrieved 2017-08-22