For those who know of Vanity Fair only in its most recent incarnation -- that is, over the last 25 years -- and are unaware of its justifiably storied past, Vanity Fair The Portraits: A Century of Iconic Images may prove to be an eye-opener on various levels.Quote:
"Look at her (Annie Leibovitz's) classic photo of a young Whoopi Goldberg, immersed in a bathtub filled with milk, and you'll see how clever she could be, especially when she was just starting out.
Now, however, most of her photos are simply standard head-on color portraits, and, whenever they're effective, it's because they play on the grossness or oddness of the person, as in her shot of former Beach Boy Brian Wilson, looking bloated as he stand by his pool, which dates from 2000.
Put them next to any of the black-and-white images from the first period of Vanity Fair -- startling, imaginative takes on people and personalities -- and these contemporary photos, whether by Leibovitz or other current V.F. photographers, wither in comparison."
(2009 Jan 1 / Jewish Exponent)
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