THK Gallery presents a selection of intimate celebrity portraits by world-renowned photographer Douglas Kirkland.
Kirkland is a world-renowned photographer, and has been working at the cutting edge of fashion, photojournalism, and portraiture for more than 50 years. In 1961 a 27-year-old Kirkland photographed one of the world’s most iconic figures: Marilyn Monroe. The young Kirkland spent an evening with the star – capturing intimate portraits of her swathed in white sheets. “She was not like the Marilyn I expected, she was easy and light, and almost playful, and very disarming for me” explained Kirkland in an interview for CBS. The images were taken for the cover of Look Magazine’s 25th anniversary, and the legendary encounter propelled Kirkland into becoming one of Hollywood’s favourite photographers. Known for his charming and gentle demeanor; Kirkland intensifies the aura, mystery, and in some cases, humanity, surrounding celebrity figures – adding a touch of realism to the portraits of otherwise untouchable celebrities.
On view in this exhibition are a selection of images spanning an impressive time frame from 1961 to 2005. Included are the famous 1961 portraits of Marilyn Monroe, as well as intimate portraits of Coco Chanel, Andy Warhol, Jack Nicholson, Dita von Teese, Bjork, Audrey Hepburn, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Keith Haring, and Grace Jones.
"The word 'celebrity' is a rather peculiar word," says Kirkland. "I work with celebrities but I'm not in awe of them. Individuals are less important to me than the possibilities of creativity. It's making images that excites me. Honestly, the names have come and gone, but my good fortune is that I've remained."
