What makes Albert Watson one of the worlds most revered photographers, hailed by peers, critics, and collectors alike? Is it his unparalleled portfolio of celebrity portraits? Breathtaking landscapes? Sensual nudes, still lifes, illustrious fashion shoots?
KAOS presents a kaleidoscopic overview of Watsons career to date and the dazzling array of subjects, objects, people, and places he has encountered along the way. A skillfully curated and dynamic portfolio, it spans 50 years of photography as we encounter stars, statesmen, supermodels and strangers; bound through neon-blazing cities; find figures poised, or shimmering with nude eroticism; roam the bright lights and the backstreets; soak up extravagant sunsets; and breathe in the elemental wilds of the photographers native Scotland.
Starting with Watsons breakthrough portrait of Alfred Hitchcock for the Christmas 1973 edition of Harpers Bazaar, each photograph reverberates with tightly coiled power, tension, and poetry. Whether its a portrait of a Las Vegas dominatrix, Elviss gold suit, a chimpanzee, or a street scene in China, Watson excels in capturing the surface seamlessly and probing its myriad depths. Along the way, his celebrity portraiture, including the likes of David Bowie, Jay Z, Kate Moss, Jennifer Lopez, Pamela Anderson, Mick Jagger, Jack Nicholson, Steve Jobs, and Andy Warhol, shows a particular interest in the private person behind the iconic faade.
This remarkable collection is accompanied by an essay from the former head of photographs at Christies, Philippe Garner, and extensive quotes from Watson, as well as dozens of previously unpublished Polaroids, culled from Watsons personal archives. The result is a defining document of the photographers photographer, iridescent in its graphic, often cinematic allure, and irresistible in its eclectic glory.
Also available as four signed Art Editions (No. [tel], each with a signed print.