David Yarrow
London Town
2023

About the Item

London Town London, United Kingdom - 2023 LARGE 56” x 81” Unframed 71” x 96” Framed Edition of 20 STANDARD 37” x 53” Unframed 52” x 68” Framed Edition of 20 "Some projects demand a very high level of creative processing for the end result not to fall flat. My goal was to take a picture in London with an intense sense of place and I knew that to do this and remain original was a formidable challenge. There can be few cities in the world more photographed than London and to tell a story that would resonate with a content spoilt audience, we had to be at our very best. There is nothing more disappointing than to creatively underwhelm, particularly in my home city. We can hardly plant a well-known figure in front of Trafalgar Square and suggest it’s art, and I pondered over this puzzle for many weeks. Ultimately my instincts were to go back in time and play to the lore of London’s past. We iterated and iterated and decided to play on the gritty London of the post war 1920s. Within the tight vortex of an unmodernised narrow London street, we could then throw on to the stage as many nods to the era as possible. The historic dockyards of Chatham offer a strong visual canvas on which to tell stories and I sensed that if we played with the ambient light of the early evening and married that with old London streetlights, we had a platform to build on. It’s a bit like making Christmas lunch - all the constituent parts must coalesce with each other and elevate the final offering. I had a strong inclination to introduce smoke; it adds another cinematic layer whether that smoke comes from a car exhaust or a chimney. This roaring twenties in the UK saw material advances in technology and science, but it will also be remembered as a decade when women found equality and their sexuality was celebrated. It was an era where grit and glamour forged an unlikely alchemy. Choosing iconic British supermodel and actress Cara Delevingne - a quintessential London girl - as my lead was one of the easier decisions of my career. Meanwhile, David Gandy is my favourite male lead to work with in the world - he always nails it and gives his all. It was a very London day and we were honoured to work with the best leads that London can offer. There was no room for compromise. This photograph may celebrate the London of 100 years ago, but for all the challenges of 2023, it remains the most vibrant, creative city in the world. We felt that vibe on set. Not many cities can compete with London Town." -David Yarrow

Creator:
David Yarrow (1966, Scottish)
Creation Year:
2023
Dimensions:
Height: 52 in (132.08 cm)Width: 68 in (172.72 cm)Depth: 2 in (5.08 cm)
Medium:
Archival Pigment
Movement & Style:
Contemporary
Period:
21st Century
Condition:
Gallery Location:
Chicago, IL
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU388313287152
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David Yarrow

David Yarrow, born 1966 in Scotland, took up photography at an early age, as a 20-year-old he found himself working as a photographer for The London Times on the pitch at the World Cup Final in Mexico City. On that day, he took the sensationalized picture of Diego Maradona holding the World Cup and, as a result, was subsequently asked to cover the Olympics and numerous other high profile sporting events.

Many years later, Yarrow established himself as a fine art photographer by documenting the natural world from new perspectives and recent years have been career-defining for his mark on the world of contemporary fine art photography.

Yarrow’s evocative and immersive photography of life on earth is most distinctive and has earned him an ever-growing following among art collectors and celebrities. His distinct large monochrome images made in Los Angeles are on display in leading galleries and museums across Europe and North America. Yarrow is now recognized as one of the best-selling fine art photographers in the world and his limited edition works regularly sell at high prices at Sotheby’s and other auction houses.

In September 2019, Rizzoli published their second book by Yarrow, with a personal foreword written by global NFL star Tom Brady and thoughtful afterword written by American cultural icon and supermodel Cindy Crawford. All royalties from the book have been donated to conservation charities Tusk in the UK and WildAid in the US.

Yarrow's position in the industry has been rewarded with a wide range of advisory and ambassadorial roles. He is an ambassador for WildArk and The Kevin Richardson Foundation and is the European ambassador for Nikon. Yarrow has been integral to Nikon's most anticipated camera release of the last decade. In December 2017, he shot LVMH’s latest “Don’t Crack Under Pressure” campaign with Cara Delevingne. In January 2019, he was appointed as a global ambassador for UBS. In the spring of 2020, Yarrow was appointed a global ambassador for Best Buddies – one of America’s most established children’s charities.

Yarrow became an ambassador for the African Community and Conservation Foundation and presented his work in the Endangered Rangers virtual fundraiser. At the start of 2020, Yarrow was in Australia documenting the devastating bush fires that have destroyed communities, wildlife and wildlands. Using the striking images that he captured of the effects of the fire, he launched the #KoalaComeback Campaign to support the recovery efforts in Australia. The campaign raised over $1.4 million, and as Yarrow continues to work for humanitarian causes, his steadfast determination continues to make positive change for the benefit of global awareness. Currently, Yarrow continues to create stunning imagery with lasting global impact and archival quality that speaks to his reverence for the art of photography in capturing the wonders of the world.

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