Lolita Criss-Cross

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Bert Stern
Lolita Criss-Cross
2017

About the Item

As one of America's most influential and celebrated photographers, Bert Stern shot the still photos of actress Sue Lyon for the movie Lolita in 1962, which led to one of the memorable posters in film history. After being asked to take the photos at the request of Lolita director Stanley Kubrick, Bert said he was inspired by the words of Vladimir Nabokov, the author whose novel inspired the movie, and underlined passages in the book that “would make picture ideas.” It was Bert Stern’s humble beginnings when he was promoted from mailroom boy to the design department of Look Magazine. That is where Bert met Stanley Kubrick, who was the youngest photographer on staff. Bert and Stanley loved women, lived in their heads, and loved fantasy. It was the late 40’s, early 50’s and it was a creative time full of possibilities, America was entering into The Golden Age of Advertising, so naturally Bert and Stanley became good friends. Stanley decided to leave Look Magazine to pursue a career in film making and bought the rights to Lolita from Vladimir Nabokov. Bert Stern had just completed reading the novel Lolita, and had been thinking that the profession for Humbert Humbert should have been a photographer instead of a college professor of some kind of arcane science, when his phone rang. It was Stanley Kubrick calling, he told Bert that he couldn’t think of anyone better to photograph the actress playing Lolita for the pre-screening shots. Bert Stern, Sue Lyon (The actress who played, Lolita) and her mother drove to Sag Harbor, Long Island, for a week and stayed with Bert’s stylist and friend, Nancy and Arnold Pearl. The season had just started and it was booming. Lolita, the Movie was still on the cutting floor, so Bert brought the novel and underlined passages that were visual. Bert walked into the five and dime store on Main Street, which still remains there today, and bought a pair of heart sunglasses which cost 39 cents after tax. They became the symbol of the movie even though they were never used in it. As well as the image of Lolita with the heart shaped sunglasses and red lollipop became the poster for the movie. Since Lolita takes place on the East Coast of America, Bert was right at home. He raided the store for comic books, an American flag, candy, and anything reminiscent of George Washington’s Delaware Crossing. He had set the shoot in local diners, old gas stations and crummy motels. He then wanted to shoot intimate shots, thinking as though Humbert Humbert. He thought the best solution was to capture that spontaneous feeling one gets, like when driving a car. “You glance sideways and much like a dream, soft and romantic there is this girl. Just a quick glance, and she’s gone...” He had to limit himself to provocative shots that let your imagination reach past the actual image, the temporal thing, and go to the realms of the implied. The photographs were a big success. Bert thought that Stanley had braved the world to make a movie that America was simply not ready for yet. He thought Sue Lyon was exceptional in her role, and he considered it one of his favorite photo essays. Little did he know that his personal creation of Lolita would become a theme in his life. Fast forward to 1989-1991, Bert Stern returns to Sag Harbor several times to imitate his own Lolita images. This time he brings a model that he’s been shooting for years and refers to as, “My Lolita”. In 1993, Bert Stern buys a house in Sag harbor, based on the attic of the house, which upon sight, imagines all the pictures he can take of, “My Lolita” and on a complete whim, buys the house. Bert continued to produce images, writings, etc. in the town where he created his original idea of Lolita. He also married the woman that he referred to as “My Lolita."

Creator:
Bert Stern (1930, American)
Creation Year:
2017
Dimensions:
Height: 36 in (91.44 cm)Width: 36 in (91.44 cm)
More Editions & Sizes:
Edition 9/32Price: $7,700
Medium:
C Print
Movement & Style:
Contemporary
Period:
1960-1969
Condition:
the figure vintage mid century image of sue lyon at the american hotel sag harbor ny.
Gallery Location:
Sag Harbor, NY
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU60033104143

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