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Herb Ritts

photographer

American[1] b. 13 August 1952, Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, U.S.[1] d. 26 December 2002, Los Angeles, California, U.S.[1,5] active 1975–2002

Herbert Ritts Jr. (1952–2002) was a prominent American fashion photographer and music video director known for his evocative black-and-white photography of celebrities, models, and cultural figures during the 1980s and 1990s. His work is characterized by a signature blend of classical Greek sculpture aesthetics, dramatic lighting, and bold contrasts inspired by California landscapes. Ritts was educated at Bard College, where he studied economics with a minor in art history. He began his photography career in the mid-1970s, eventually becoming a sought-after photographer for major publications like Vogue, Rolling Stone, and Harper's Bazaar. He also directed numerous music videos for high-profile artists including Madonna, Janet Jackson, and Tina Turner. Ritts was openly gay and lived with entertainment lawyer Erik Hyman until his death from pneumonia in 2002.[1,2,3,4]

  • fashion photography
  • portraiture
  • classical sculpture aesthetics
  • black and white photography

Books

  1. Herb Ritts Herb Ritts: Pictures 2263
    Herb Ritts: Pictures
    Herb Ritts
    €67.00

Works by Herb Ritts

  • 1988 Pictures Twin Palms Publishers · book · English · ISBN 0944092012
  • 1989 Men/Women Twin Palms Publishers · book
  • 1991 Duo Twin Palms Publishers · book
  • 1992 Notorious Little, Brown and Company/Bulfinch · book
  • 1994 Africa Little, Brown and Company/Bulfinch · book
  • 1996 Work Little, Brown and Company/Bulfinch · book
  • 1999 Herb Ritts Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain · book
  • 2012 Herb Ritts L.A. Style Getty · book · ISBN 978-1-60606-100-8

Exhibitions

  • 2016 Herb Ritts: The Rock Portraits Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA · group
  • 2015 Herb Ritts: The Rock Portraits Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, OH · group
  • 2015 Herb Ritts Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA · solo
  • 2016 Herb Ritts: Super Hamilton's Gallery, London · solo
  • 2017 Herb Ritts: Super II Hamilton's Gallery, London · solo

Awards

  • 2008 Pioneer Award GLAAD Media Awards

References

  1. The New York Times. 2002 link
  2. Thejc.com link
  3. Herb Ritts Foundation link
  4. Los Angeles Times. 2000 link
  5. The New York Times. 2002 link