Can you name this baby? You may recognize this image if you are familiar with the photography of Diane Arbus. A major retrospective and several films of late have focused on her life and work. I can't remember what I was searching for - perhaps the affect progressive eyeglasses have on an artists' work (if you know me, you might understand this query... more later if you don't.)
I discovered this particular Arbus image on this
blog, recognized the image as one of Arbus; but had no idea that it depicts the babyface of the man linked to my title post. Pretty is, pretty was, pretty does! Thanks, mclennan for your informative post and the revelation you reveal from Patricia Bosworth's biography of Arbus: "To dispel the growing myth that [Arbus] only took pictures of freaks, she made up a list of elegant people she wanted to photogrpah... As if to prove her point, she took a remarkable portrait of Gloria Vanderbilt's sleeping baby son, Anderson Hays Cooper, for a Harper's Bazaar Valentine issue." Bosworth goes on to explain that after refusing to let HB publish the photo Gloria changed her mind and let her use it for her 1972 MOMA retrospective. A face born for the airways it seems.
Anderson has been on my mind lately since he in one of the few talking heads I can bear to listen to anymore. Ok, Keith Olberman has won my heart... but he doesn't interview in the field. He's a brilliant writer and entertaining talking head. Anderson is the only man in the field who has a brain and a heart and manages to get through his interviews without making me wince (at least not often.) With the unthinkable VT massacre all over the airways he's the only one I trust to ask humane questions. Thanks, AC. As much as I admire Anderson I must admit that I miss Walter Cronkite's dignity. Keith, Anderson, Maher and Stewart's Daily Show make up for a lot but we could use a lot more dignity out there.
A NOLA friend ran into Anderson at a small local bistro recently. He was dining with an collection of authentic new orleans locals but he was very personable and real with my friend.
Labels: media literacy, new orleans, photography, Virginia