February 22 – May 19, 2013
The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
Herb Ritts (American, 1952–2002) was a Los Angeles-based photographer who established an international reputation for his distinctive photographs of fashion models, nudes, and celebrities. From the late 1970s until his untimely death from AIDS in 2002, Ritts’s ability to create photographs that successfully bridged the gap between art and commerce was not only a testament to the power of his imagination and technical skill but also marked the synergy between art, popular culture, and business that followed in the wake of the Pop Art movement of the 1960s and 1970s. This exhibition features a selection of Ritts’s vintage prints and magazine covers.
Versace Dress, Back View, El Mirage, 1990
Gelatin silver print
Image: 61 x 50.8 cm (24 x 20 in.)
Framed: 76.2 x 63.5 cm (30 x 25 in.)
The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, Gift of Herb Ritts Foundation, 2012.23.22
© Herb Ritts Foundation
There is a lecture that will be presented by the exhibition’s curator, Paul Martineau, associate curator of photographs at the J. Paul Getty Museum. ViewPoint: An Inspired Eye: The Photographs of Herb Ritts, Saturday, February 23, 10:30 a.m. in the Historic Asolo Theater. For tickets or information, call 941.360.7399 of visit www.ringling.org.
There are two Gallery Walk & Talks scheduled in the Ulla R. and Arthur F. Searing Wing Galleries of the Museum of Art. Herb Ritts: The Body as Object, Thursday, March 21, 6:00 p.m. and Herb Ritts: A Distinctive Sense of Style, Thursday, April 25, 6:00 p.m. Walk & Talks are free for Members and complimentary with admission to Art After 5.
As part of the Ringling Museum’s Art and a Movie program on Thursday, May 2, 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., Herb Ritts and Prêt-à-Porter (Ready to Wear) will be screened in the Historic Asolo Theater followed by a tour of the exhibition. The Museum store is also carrying a catalogue Herb Ritts: L.A. Style written by Paul Martineau with an essay by James Crump. A seductive collection of portraits and nudes from the famed fashion photographer is beautifully reproduced in this handsome volume. Hardcover, $59.95.
The Herb Ritts: L.A. Style exhibition is part of the Ringling Museum’s 2012-13 “Art of Our Time” season, supported in part by a grant from Gulf Coast Community Foundation. The exhibition is also made possible through the generous support of the William G. Selby and Marie Selby Foundation.
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Sarasota, Florida 34243
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