With a style at once impactful, reflective and irreverent, photographer Jonathan Becker belongs more to the artistic than the documentarian realm, masterfully capturing a theatrical sense of the unexpected as he offers glimpses into rarefied worlds.
Bea Feitler — the late, legendary artistic director responsible for vamping up Harper’s Bazaar and Rolling Stone in the 1960s and ’70s — gave Becker his first big break, in 1981, when she asked him to submit images for the relaunch of Vanity Fair.
Becker, who was 26 at the time, had already been the first Paris-based photographer for W magazine and had forged a close friendship with French-Hungarian Surrealist photographer Brassaï, who was then in his 70s. By this age, too, Becker had also developed an enviable reputation as a portrait photographer working on Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine and alongside Slim Aarons and Norman Parkinson at Town & Country, although he knew not to step on his famous colleagues’ toes. “I was a young little interloper,” he says. “I learned more by listening and watching those giants than by trying to engage in any direct interactions with them.”
The young photographer, who was moonlighting at the time as a New York City cab driver, hadn’t dreamed that the project would put his pictures on an equal footing with those of legends of the medium: Also contributing to this debut edition were some of photography’s most revered names, including Richard Avedon, Irving Penn and Helmut Newton, as well as rising star Annie Leibovitz, whose popularity had recently skyrocketed, thanks to her Rolling Stone cover picture of a naked John Lennon curled up alongside a fully clothed Yoko Ono.
That issue was a game changer in modern magazine publishing, with Vanity Fair setting the bar for engaging editorial and daring design for decades to come. It also signaled the making of a man: Becker’s talent for visual storytelling shone through in his avant-gardist tribute, and the magazine’s creative team kept him on, marking the start of his long career there.
As a regular Vanity Fair contributor, Becker operated in the highest echelons of society, traveling the world and immortalizing countless A-list movers, shakers and thinkers from the fields of fashion, culture and politics, not to mention royalty.
Becker's unconventional way of directing his eye is clearly instinctual, resulting in an unusual aesthetic that mixes perception, myth and reality in equal measure. This balance is most apparent in his famous black-and-white picture of Robert Mapplethorpe, taken in 1988 at the opening of Mapplethorpe’s retrospective exhibition at the Whitney, when the famed photographer was dying of AIDS. It is a group shot, showing various figures at different angles, in which Mapplethorpe, caught in profile and listening intently to a woman kneeling beside him, seems to stop time. The moment is heavy with emotion and also dreamlike. It is ineffably surreal.
Becker has given us Stephen King as a cross-eyed zombie (1980); Dustin Hoffman as a mischief maker, lounging on a stack of sun loungers at the Beverly Hills Hotel (2004); and Diana Vreeland as an aging Raphaelesque Madonna dressed in a voluminous black gown and sitting cross-legged in her famous red-clad living room at 550 Park Avenue (1979). The photographer, a lover of spontaneity who deftly plays with perspectives, keeps us intrigued with his open-ended narratives.
Find a collection of Jonathan Becker photography on 1stDibs.
Andy Warhol and His Corsets at the Fourth Factory, NY, 1986, by Jonathan Becker
By Jonathan Becker
Located in Pound Ridge, NY
Andy Warhol and his Corsets at the Fourth Factory, New York, 1986 "Andy had to wear corsets ever after he was shot in the abdomen. The ever-devoted Brigid "Polk" Berlin dyed them f...
Paper
$4,652Sale Price|60% Off
B.Bardot Paris Color Gelatin Silver Print, Pop Art, Signed, 2015
By Jonathan Becker
Located in Valladolid, ES
“Bardot Paris,” Jonathan Bermudes, Pop Art, 2015 - France Technique on support: Color gelatin silver print mounted under Diasec Title of the work: “Bardo Paris” Author: Jonathan B...
Glass, Paper
Jean-Paul Goude and Grace Jones, Long Island NY, 10 Aug 1992 by Jonathan Becker
By Jonathan Becker
Located in Pound Ridge, NY
Jean-Paul Goude and Grace Jones in the “Lionel Hamptons", Long Island, New York, 10 August 1992 "J.P. and I were working on a story he called the 'Lionel Hamptons’. Grace helped." ...
Paper
At the Eden Roc, Cap d’Antibes, France, 17 May 2008, by Jonathan Becker
By Jonathan Becker
Located in Pound Ridge, NY
At the Eden Roc, Cap d’Antibes, France, 17 May 2008, Photographed by Jonathan Becker Contemporary Color Landscape Photography 44" x 44.5" Archival Pigment Print Edition Nº 1 of ...
Paper
$4,597Sale Price|50% Off
H 38 in W 27.56 in D 1.97 in
Signed Bob Geldoff for Vivienne Westwood Large Format Polaroid Photo, 2008
By Vivienne Westwood
Located in London, GB
An original one-off large format Polaroid photograph of Bob Geldoff & Jeanne Marine for the Vivienne Westwood Active Resistance limited edition book produced by Opus. Photographer Zenon Texeira. Signed by Bob Geldoff & Jeanne Marine in marker pen. Large-format polaroids are extremely rare and unique and as the name suggests, they are of a large scale, the visible image dimensions being 52 cm x 67 cm. It is an autographed and one-off, unreproducible photograph, as there is no negative. Large Format Polaroids: The Polaroid 20×24 camera is a very large instant camera made by Polaroid, with film plates that measure a nominal 20 by 24 inches. Throughout its history, it has been used by many famous photographers, including Robert Rauschenberg and Andy Warhol. Ansel Adams also used the camera, notably to make the first official photographic Presidential portrait, of President Jimmy Carter in 1979. To celebrate Lady Gaga's new role as Creative Director of Polaroid, a portrait of her was shot with the 20×24 camera on June 30, 2010, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This is the actual one-off Large Format Polaroid Photo taken on one of three of these cameras in existence which are soon to be obsolete because no more of the photographic paper can be made. The rare Polaroid 20 x 24 camera was brought from Prague to Paris and London for three separate photo shoots for The Official Vivienne Westwood Opus. Featuring Vivienne Westwood’s family and friends wearing clothes from her stunning collections, 97 selected Polaroids, shot by Zenon Texeira in black-and-white, colour and sepia, are displayed in the Opus. The photos were shown in various venues including the Serpentine Gallery in London on a worldwide tour to promote the book. Participants included: Vivienne Westwood, Pier Vittorio Aureli, Hilary Koob-Sassen, Ingo Niermann & Zak Kyes, Rasheed Araeen, Peter Cook, Richard Wentworth, Gilbert & George, Ben Vautier, Jonas Mekas, Jean-Jacques Lebel, Tom Mccarthy, Mark Wallinger, Yoko Ono, Barbara Steveni, Ekaterina Degot, Raqs media collective, Nathaniel Mellors, Lee Scrivner, Andrea Branzi, Henry Flynt, Marina Abramovic, Agnès Varda, Susan Hefuna, Stephen Willats, Falke Pisano, Adam Pendleton, Jimmie Durham...
Paper
$4,583Sale Price|50% Off
H 39.57 in W 30.32 in D 1.97 in
Signed Naomi Campbell for Vivienne Westwood Large Format Polaroid Photo, 2008
By Vivienne Westwood
Located in London, GB
An original one-off large format Polaroid photograph of Naomi Campbell for the Vivienne Westwood Active Resistance limited edition book produced by Opus. Signed by Naomi Campbell and photographer Zenon Texeira in marker pen. Large-format polaroids are extremely rare and unique and as the name suggests, they are of a large scale, the visible image dimensions being 52 cm x 67 cm. It is an autographed and one-off, unreproducible photograph, as there is no negative. Large Format Polaroids: The Polaroid 20×24 camera is a very large instant camera made by Polaroid, with film plates that measure a nominal 20 by 24 inches. Throughout its history, it has been used by many famous photographers, including Robert Rauschenberg and Andy Warhol. Ansel Adams also used the camera, notably to make the first official photographic Presidential portrait, of President Jimmy Carter in 1979. To celebrate Lady Gaga's new role as Creative Director of Polaroid, a portrait of her was shot with the 20×24 camera on June 30, 2010, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This is the actual one-off Large Format Polaroid Photo taken on one of three of these cameras in existence which are soon to be obsolete because no more of the photographic paper can be made. The rare Polaroid 20 x 24 camera was brought from Prague to Paris and London for three separate photo shoots for The Official Vivienne Westwood Opus. Featuring Vivienne Westwood’s family and friends wearing clothes from her stunning collections, 97 selected Polaroids, shot by Zenon Texeira in black-and-white, colour and sepia, are displayed in the Opus. The photos were shown in various venues including the Serpentine Gallery in London on a worldwide tour to promote the book. Participants included: Vivienne Westwood, Pier Vittorio Aureli, Hilary Koob-Sassen, Ingo Niermann & Zak Kyes, Rasheed Araeen, Peter Cook, Richard Wentworth, Gilbert & George, Ben Vautier, Jonas Mekas, Jean-Jacques Lebel, Tom Mccarthy, Mark Wallinger, Yoko Ono, Barbara Steveni, Ekaterina Degot, Raqs media collective, Nathaniel Mellors, Lee Scrivner, Andrea Branzi, Henry Flynt, Marina Abramovic, Agnès Varda, Susan Hefuna, Stephen Willats, Falke Pisano, Adam Pendleton, Jimmie Durham...
Paper
$850
H 25 in W 19 in D 1 in
"The Swans of Squassex, " by Photographer Patrice Casanova, Long Island, NY
By Patrice Casanova
Located in Bellport, NY
A swan ballet by renowned Photographer Patrice Casanova. Limited addition of 20 images. Image size 12 x 17, framed 18 x 25 inches.
Paper
$3,052
H 11.82 in W 15.6 in D 0.04 in
Jan Saudek, Czech Photographer, Silver Gelatin Print, #297/5 Model print
By Jan Saudek
Located in Delft, NL
Jan Saudek, Czech Photographer, Silver Gelatin Print Title : No Title, but this print is from the serie "Faggot Burning" Numbered with # 297/5 Print finished June 9, 1891 (Jan date...
Paper
$5,152Sale Price|20% Off
H 7.25 in W 9.75 in D 1 in
Andy Warhol, Joe Dellasandro, ‘Flesh, 1968’ Black & White Photograph 1968, 1978.
By Andy Warhol
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Andy Warhol, Joe Dellasandro, ‘Trash’, 1968 (1978), Black & White Photograph. Large silver gelatin print. Printed in 1978. Provenance: Archive of After Dark Magazine, New York. T...
Paper
$2,751Sale Price|69% Off
H 37.8 in W 27.56 in D 1.97 in
Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood Large Format Polaroid, 2008, signed
By Vivienne Westwood
Located in London, GB
An original one-off large format Polaroid photograph of Andreas Kronthaler (Vivienne Westwood's husband as well as creative director and design partner) for the Vivienne Westwood Active Resistance limited edition book produced by Opus. By photographer Zenon Texeira. Signed by Andreas Kronthaler in marker pen. Large-format polaroids are extremely rare and unique and as the name suggests, they are of a large scale, the visible image dimensions being 52 cm x 67 cm. It is a one-off, unreproducible photograph, as there is no negative. Large Format Polaroids: The Polaroid 20×24 camera is a very large instant camera made by Polaroid, with film plates that measure a nominal 20 by 24 inches. Throughout its history, it has been used by many famous photographers, including Robert Rauschenberg and Andy Warhol. Ansel Adams also used the camera, notably to make the first official photographic Presidential portrait, of President Jimmy Carter in 1979. To celebrate Lady Gaga's new role as Creative Director of Polaroid, a portrait of her was shot with the 20×24 camera on June 30, 2010, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This is the actual one-off Large Format Polaroid Photo taken on one of three of these cameras in existence which are soon to be obsolete because no more of the photographic paper can be made. The rare Polaroid 20 x 24 camera was brought from Prague to Paris and London for three separate photo shoots for The Official Vivienne Westwood Opus. Featuring Vivienne Westwood’s family and friends wearing clothes from her stunning collections, 97 selected Polaroids, shot by Zenon Texeira in black-and-white, colour and sepia, are displayed in the Opus. The photos were shown in various venues including the Serpentine Gallery in London on a worldwide tour to promote the book. Participants included: Vivienne Westwood, Pier Vittorio Aureli, Hilary Koob-Sassen, Ingo Niermann & Zak Kyes, Rasheed Araeen, Peter Cook, Richard Wentworth, Gilbert & George, Ben Vautier, Jonas Mekas, Jean-Jacques Lebel, Tom Mccarthy, Mark Wallinger...
Paper
$2,751Sale Price|69% Off
H 37.8 in W 27.56 in D 1.97 in
Group photograph for Vivienne Westwood Large Format Polaroid Photo, 2008
By Vivienne Westwood
Located in London, GB
An original one-off large format Polaroid photograph for the Vivienne Westwood Active Resistance limited edition book produced by Opus. By photographer ...
Paper
$2,751Sale Price|69% Off
H 37.8 in W 27.56 in D 1.97 in
Model for Vivienne Westwood Large Format Polaroid Photo, 2008
By Vivienne Westwood
Located in London, GB
An original one-off large format Polaroid photograph for the Vivienne Westwood Active Resistance limited edition book produced by Opus. By photographer ...
Paper
$2,759Sale Price|69% Off
H 37.8 in W 27.56 in D 1.97 in
Two Models for Vivienne Westwood Large Format Polaroid Photo, 2008
By Vivienne Westwood
Located in London, GB
An original one-off large format Polaroid photograph for the Vivienne Westwood Active Resistance limited edition book produced by Opus. By photographer ...
Paper
$2,751Sale Price|69% Off
H 27.56 in W 20.08 in D 1.97 in
Signed Laura Bailey for Vivienne Westwood Large Format Polaroid Photo, 2008
By Vivienne Westwood
Located in London, GB
An original one-off large format Polaroid photograph of Laura Bailey for the Vivienne Westwood Active Resistance limited edition book produced by Opus. By photographer Zenon Texeira. Signed by Laura Bailey in marker pen. Large-format polaroids are extremely rare and unique and as the name suggests, they are of a large scale, the visible image dimensions being 52 cm x 67 cm. It is an autographed and one-off, unreproducible photograph, as there is no negative. Large Format Polaroids: The Polaroid 20×24 camera is a very large instant camera made by Polaroid, with film plates that measure a nominal 20 by 24 inches. Throughout its history, it has been used by many famous photographers, including Robert Rauschenberg and Andy Warhol. Ansel Adams also used the camera, notably to make the first official photographic Presidential portrait, of President Jimmy Carter in 1979. To celebrate Lady Gaga's new role as Creative Director of Polaroid, a portrait of her was shot with the 20×24 camera on June 30, 2010, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This is the actual one-off Large Format Polaroid Photo taken on one of three of these cameras in existence which are soon to be obsolete because no more of the photographic paper can be made. The rare Polaroid 20 x 24 camera was brought from Prague to Paris and London for three separate photo shoots for The Official Vivienne Westwood Opus. Featuring Vivienne Westwood’s family and friends wearing clothes from her stunning collections, 97 selected Polaroids, shot by Zenon Texeira in black-and-white, colour and sepia, are displayed in the Opus. The photos were shown in various venues including the Serpentine Gallery in London on a worldwide tour to promote the book. Participants included: Vivienne Westwood, Pier Vittorio Aureli, Hilary Koob-Sassen, Ingo Niermann & Zak Kyes, Rasheed Araeen, Peter Cook, Richard Wentworth, Gilbert & George, Ben Vautier, Jonas Mekas, Jean-Jacques Lebel, Tom Mccarthy, Mark Wallinger...
Paper
Early Pictorialist Sepia Tone Gelatin Silver Print Photograph Woman
Located in Rochester, NY
Early original pictorialist sepia tone gelatin silver print photograph of a sultry young woman in a flowing gown by Rochester NY photographer Ned Hungerford, 1900-1910. Beautiful eth...
Paper
Seceda by Christiaan Nies
Located in Weesp, NL
Seceda Photographed by: Christiaan Nies Date: November 2017 Dimensions: Height 120 cm x width 180 cm. height 47.24 inch x width 70.87 inch Limited edition of 5 + 1 AP in the si...
Acrylic