Annie Leibovitz at the Pushkin

[Tamila]

The site Fotografer.ru an article about the book, Irina Popova Leibovitz, her photos, and more. With the new law banning promotion of homosexuality, which was in St. Petersburg, this exhibition would never happen. Is now will tighten the screws?

Love Leibovitz, or One Sunny Day
Irina Popova

I ride a bicycle in Amsterdam. Two cropped girl riding on a tandem. Young, slim. One holds the other's waist, and there is absolutely nothing obscene. Around the tables sat a couple of cafes. Above these cafes are developing rainbow-striped flags. Men sitting at the tables - muscular, tanned, charming. Some of them - shaven. But this is not the skinheads are not Nazis. They smile at each other, some holding hands. I stop the bike, sit down at a table in front, and once he starts a conversation. He - the barber-stylist, a native of Thailand. It is the other - came from Poland. They are five years together. Four years - in a marriage. I like how they're open, friendly - in contrast to the townsfolk, fighting in defense of the illusory "Us Privacy Policy". I like how they move, gesture, they say. Pole-gay by the name of Tomas inviting me to him in the penthouse. He promises to cook a special meal for three. I propose to remove the photo story about them, and then suddenly remember: even if I take a similar story, I can not now show it at home ...

Because someone has or is trying to make a law on the promotion of homosexuality.

I would like to talk today about a photo book.

After the Amsterdam gay bar, I decided to call the library. Accidentally stayed on the floor of photobooks. In my hand lay a very large and comprehensive book, called simply - "Annie Leibovitz Life Photographer from 1990 to 2005."

This book covers only a decade and a half of the creative life of the photographer. Such was the life of her relationship with the famous photo critics and intellectual, Susan Sontag. Moreover, this book was made in memory of Sontag - she died in 2004, one and a half months gone through her father Annie.

What this book struck me - the fact that Annie does not separate his personal life on a photographic career. At first it seemed to me a weak point: it is all mixed together, different aesthetics, different approaches. Glamorous photos of the stars. DiCaprio - handsome, Schwarzenegger skiing, Cindy Crawford with a boa. But these things - they just insert small blotches. Because the book - it is deeply personal. No, it's not about lesbian love. Or - not just for her. She - the human memory of those magical moments, which then become the photography.

Annie did not hesitate to put back the most candid moments of your life. Here is her mother, a surprisingly young in spirit and cheerful woman, standing on his hands in the water. Here's Susan rides on a bicycle, a white lock of hair fluttering in the wind is so beautiful. Here is Susan in the tub, completely naked, of course, and we, as viewers, offers no opportunity to observe have halted the aging body, the fold near the belly button, all the hairs. At first I wanted to say to yourself - "oh no" and turn the page. And when I went to a few pages ahead, something made me go back and look again, long and hard. Through the surface disgust and shame I opened a deep tenderness, passed through a photograph - as can be transmitted only to the tenderness of a truly loving people.

One of the latest photos - Susan dead. Absolutely dead. This is the only picture where she looks very old. Annie, apparently in a fit of insane grief clicked and clicked her body piece by piece, large and detailed. The only picture of the "personal" side, taken on the color. When she died, she was 71. Their relationship lasted until his death, Susan - and only true love, creativity, and relentless thinking can help people avoid the humdrum of early corrosion.

Only after the death of Susan Leibovitz has officially acknowledged that they were close. In an interview for the San Francisco Chroniclu she repeated: "Call us 'lovers'. I like 'lovers.' You know, 'lovers' sounds romantic. I mean, I want to be perfectly clear. I love Susan ".

What is remarkable, three years after the death of Susan, she still uses the word "love" in the present tense.

Just two years ago I lived in Moscow. I lived in a lesbian commune - that is, in the community of girls who were good together. Who built a couple, relationship, friendship, just loved to spend together time. And these communities, I know not one - in Moscow, St. Petersburg and beyond. We watched a good movie together, cooked Italian pasta, we had a cable internet for five, and we have never had a fight because he did not. Oh, and of course, I took off. I watched the love scenes and drama, friendship, sincerity, tenderness, jealousy, scandal, and then apologize on his knees and again love - almost the entire spectrum of vibrant and spontaneous human relations. I hesitate to show these pictures - and then I would not dare. Too hard for our society responds to stories about the "other" (but in reality - the same) people. But I'm glad I rented this story. I can look at the photos or show a friend from my computer, and I became a light on them.

And now, having cast away all the experiences, and other snot-drooling, a serious question.

Is it like the book itself Leibovitz "homosexual propaganda"? Will be posted on my story about my neighbors this propaganda? Should I keep this book in a hiding place between the walls, so that God forbid, not raided the Inquisition, and do not punish me for it? Should I delete the photos from the hard, again, for fear of the Inquisition?

But it's all very simple.

I want to be any, even the strangest people, could have the freedom to express themselves and their relationships and not be afraid of retribution. I wish I could see to shoot and show life in all its manifestations. I want my country emerged from medieval darkness and homophobic hysteria, in which she suddenly plunged.
 It is still yet my country - a country whose nationals I still am, no matter how nice I was rolling on a white bicycle under the fluttering flags of Amsterdam.

http://www.photographer.ru/columnists/5547.htm

[fross]

Well I Do not Know Do not Know - how is difficult to imagine that the love of two very elderly women can serve as propaganda. <! - ~ 1 ~ ->) ) I want to believe that in their case , it was one of admiration for the intelligence , and other favorable decision of worship.
So that the author is something very much wanted to see for some reason this album. And her mixing the album with romantic descriptions of the young couple seems to me an attempt to justify an empty amusement, which involved many centuries before us , that's just never really accepted and legitimate marriage is not cemented because of the complete bezsmyslitsy , heirs , then it can not be . It's like alcohol , drugs and other " joys " - some of the delays are too deep. <! - ~ 1 ~ ->
If we are so close to it , this theme to inspire even more looks at the work of Man Ray from the nearest sotbisovskogo directory Impressionists in Paris. That's really propaganda, because propaganda - quality . <! - ~ 1 ~ ->

[Tamila]

You are about this job?

Well, let's see how things will develop.
<! - ~ 1 ~ ->

[fross]

Сообщение от Tamila

Exhibition of unusual , I liked , I advise you to visit .
Despite such " heterogeneous " at first glance, images, photographs add up to one image, in whole, and the concept of the exhibition becomes clear .

The concept - yes, there , and it's all , nothing more. There is a particular style photographer in the family photo , and vice versa uniformity rather rough and gloss in a straight line with well-known persons who do not understand ... It is a pity disappointed.

[Tamila]

Сообщение от fross; 1808303"

concept - yes, there , and that's all , nothing more. There is a particular style photographer in the family photo ,

Well, why . Feature in that family photos are not staged, and are made in a relaxed atmosphere. Take, for instance for example a portrait of her mother. She does not smile. Leibovitz chose the one shot where her mom looks natural , not trying to create a false image of a smile ( Props , make-believe , and perhaps therefore less interesting ).

Сообщение от fross; 1808303"

and vice versa uniformity rather rough and gloss in a straight line with well-known persons who do not understand ...

With regard to gloss, to some extent I agree. The picture Scarlett Johansson, for example, looks normal. Photographer , perhaps , justifies the fact that it was a job , and we had to follow the wishes of the customer.
But that's Jack Nicholson very much, Richard Avedon , there are good pictures.

 - Annie Leibovitz, Scarlett Johansson , Chateau Marmont , West Hollywood , 2004

[fross]

Сообщение от Tamila

Well, why . Feature in that family photos are not staged, and are made in a relaxed atmosphere.

But they are not visible photographer's work , no general, they are amateurs , and then rented a professional photographer , or ...

With regard to gloss, to some extent I agree. The picture Scarlett Johansson, for example, looks normal. Photographer , perhaps , justifies the fact that it was a job , and we had to follow the wishes of the customer.
But that's Jack Nicholson very much, Richard Avedon , there are good pictures.

 - Annie Leibovitz, Scarlett Johansson , Chateau Marmont , West Hollywood , 2004

This photo has generally do not want to discuss , but the gloss of the same Avedon, Penn, or at the next auction at Christie's seen? In November , they just have some auctions of Cartier-Bresson and Penn, take a look.

[Кирилл Сызранский]

Сообщение от fross

But they are not visible photographer's work, no general, they are amateurs, and then rented a professional photographer

When I first saw it, these production photos, I do not believe it Leibovitz.
I still do not understand why she needed them to do ..