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Herb Ritts

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Herbert Ritts Jr. (August 13, 1952 – December 26, 2002) was an American fashion photographer and director known for his photographs of celebrities, models, and other cultural figures throughout the 1980s and 1990s. His work concentrated on black and white photography and portraits, often in the style of classical Greek sculpture, which emphasized the human shape.[1]

Herb Ritts
Born
Herbert Ritts Jr.

(1952-08-13)August 13, 1952
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedDecember 26, 2002(2002-12-26) (aged 50)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma materBard College
OccupationPhotographer
AwardsGLAAD Media Awards
Pioneer Award 2008

Early life and education

Ritts was born on August 13, 1952, in Brentwood, Los Angeles. His father, Herb Ritts Sr. (née Rittigstein), was a furniture designer and his mother, Shirley Ritts (née Roos), was an interior designer.[2] Together, their furniture business helped to popularize rattan furniture in the 1950s and 1960s. Raised in an affluent Jewish family, he and his three younger siblings lived next door to actor Steve McQueen, whom he considered to be "like a second father".[3]

At his bar mitzvah, his father gifted him with a Kodak Brownie camera.[2] He attended Palisades High School and moved to upstate New York in 1972 to study at Bard College, where he received a degree in economics with a minor in art history.[4] Upon graduation in 1975, he moved back to California to work as a sales representative in the family business.[1]

"I’m glad I didn’t go to school for photography. Other photographers I know, Helmut Newton and Bruce Weber didn’t either. Even Steven Meisel didn’t, really—he went to fashion school. For me, the most important thing I learned was just honing my eye. [...] I was tutoring myself, I suppose. Many people who excel are self-taught".[3]

Ritts bought his first camera in 1976, a 35mm Miranda DX-3.[5]

Career

Later, while living in Los Angeles, he became interested in photography when he and friend Richard Gere, then an aspiring actor, decided to shoot some photographs in front of an old Buick.[1] The picture gained Ritts some coverage and he began to be more serious about photography. He photographed Brooke Shields for the cover of the October 12, 1981 edition of Elle and he photographed Olivia Newton-John for her Physical album in 1981. Five years later he replicated that cover pose with Madonna for her 1986 release True Blue. That year he photographed Tina Turner for the album Break Every Rule.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Ritts photographed celebrities in various locales throughout California.[6] Some of his subjects during this time included musical artists. He also took fashion and nude photographs of models Naomi Campbell, Stephanie Seymour, Tatjana Patitz, Christy Turlington, and Cindy Crawford, including "Tatjana, Veiled Head, Tight View, Joshua Tree, 1988."[7] Ritts' work with them ushered in the 1990s era of the supermodel and was consecrated by one of his most celebrated images, "Stephanie, Cindy, Christy, Tatjana, Naomi, Hollywood, 1989" taken for Rolling Stone.[citation needed]

He also worked for Interview, Esquire, Mademoiselle, Glamour, GQ, Newsweek, Harper's Bazaar, Rolling Stone,[6] Time, Vogue, Allure, Vanity Fair, Details, and Elle. Ritts took publicity portraits for Batman, Batman Forever, and Batman & Robin which appeared on magazine covers and merchandise throughout the 1990s. He published books on photography for various fashion designers.

From 1996 to 1997 Ritts' work was displayed at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, attracting more than 250,000 people to the exhibit,[8] and in 2003 a solo exhibition was held at the Daimaru Museum, in Kyoto, Japan.[citation needed]

Personal life

Ritts was openly gay. He was in a relationship with entertainment lawyer Erik Hyman from 1996 until his death in 2002.[9] His parents were accepting and supportive of his sexuality.[10] Ritts was HIV-positive. He was first diagnosed in 1989, and used alternative herbal treatments to fight his condition. He never publicly disclosed his diagnosis.[11]

Death

On December 26, 2002, Ritts died in Los Angeles from pneumonia at the age of 50.[12] According to Ritts' publicist, "Herb was HIV-positive, but this particular pneumonia was not PCP (pneumocystis pneumonia), a common opportunistic infection of AIDS. But at the end of the day, his immune system was compromised."[13]

Music videos

Year Title Artist Notes
1989
1990 "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" Janet Jackson with Antonio Sabàto, Jr. and Djimon Hounsou "Cherish" Madonna
1991 "Wicked Game" Chris Isaak second version of music video; with Helena Christensen
"Way of the World" Tina Turner two slightly different versions, one for the American market and the other European
1992 "In the Closet" Michael Jackson with Naomi Campbell
1994 "Please Come Home for Christmas" Jon Bon Jovi with Cindy Crawford
1996 "Let It Flow" Toni Braxton
1998 "My All" Mariah Carey
1999 "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing" Chris Isaak Remix version, with Laetitia Casta
2000 "Telling Stories" Tracy Chapman
2001 "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" Britney Spears
"Ain't It Funny" Jennifer Lopez
"Gone" NSYNC
2002 "Underneath Your Clothes" Shakira

Publications

  • Pictures, Twin Palms, 1988
  • Men/Women, Twin Palms, 1989
  • Duo, Twin Palms, 1991
  • Notorious, Little, Brown and Company/Bulfinch, 1992
  • Africa, Little, Brown and Company/Bulfinch, 1994
  • Work, Little, Brown and Company/Bulfinch, 1996
  • Herb Ritts, Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain, 1999
  • Herb Ritts L.A. Style, Getty, 2012

Exhibitions

References

  1. ^ a b c Bellafante, Ginia (December 27, 2002). "Herb Ritts, Photographer of Celebrities, Is Dead at 50". The New York Times. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  2. ^ a b Abrams, Melanie. "Life and Culture: Lens That Defined a Generation." Thejc.com Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  3. ^ a b Quinton, François. "Herb Ritts Interview" (PDF). Herb Ritts Foundation. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  4. ^ Sharpsteen, Bill (October 29, 2000). "EYE OF THE BEHOLDER". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  5. ^ Ritts, Herb; Martineau, Paul; Crump, James (2012). Herb Ritts: L.A. style. J. Paul Getty Museum, Cincinnati Art Museum, John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum. ISBN 978-1-60606-100-8. OCLC 733755695.
  6. ^ a b Loder, Kurt (April 23, 1987), "Stardust Memories", Rolling Stone, no. 498, pp. 74–77, 80, 82, 168, 171
  7. ^ "Herb Ritts". Retrieved September 3, 2022.
  8. ^ Edgers, Geoff (April 5, 2007). "Breaking: Herb Ritts Money, Art to MFA50". The Boston Globe. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  9. ^ "Putting on the Ritts". April 2003.
  10. ^ Rutledge, Stephen (August 13, 2017). "#BornThisDay: Photographer, Herb Ritts".
  11. ^ "Herb Ritts: Puttin' on the Ritts". September 10, 2010.
  12. ^ Bellafante, Ginia (December 27, 2002). "Herb Ritts, Photographer of Celebrities, Is Dead at 50". The New York Times. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  13. ^ Signorile, Michelangelo (January 22, 2001). "Ritts Coverage: Don't Hide the AIDS Truths". windycitymediagroup.com. Retrieved September 13, 2010.
  14. ^ "Chrysler Museum of Art". chrysler.org. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
  15. ^ "Exhibits". rockhall.com. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
  16. ^ a b Christian, Scott (March 13, 2015). "Herb Ritts: old-school glamour's last stand". The Guardian. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
  17. ^ "Herb Ritts". mfa.org. February 12, 2015. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
  18. ^ "Exhibition HERB RITTS: SUPER – artist, news & exhibitions". photography-now.com. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
  19. ^ "Herb Ritts' Iconic Photographs of the '90s "Supers" Are Back". Vogue. January 29, 2017. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
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