Cambridge Art Gallery is proud to announce the preview for our forthcoming winter 2009 exhibition of rare prints by Hollywood’s legendary portrait photographer, George Hurrell.
Evident within Hurrell’s photography is the influence of the great masters of portrait painting. From Rembrandt to Renoir, the elements of gesture, the contrast of light and shade and the beauty of form and line can be found in each of his sensational portraits.
His undeniable impact on the world of photography and influence on popular culture has become referred to directly as the “Hurrell Style”, defined by creating the proper attitude necessary to enhance the theatricality of his subjects. The inherent visual drama that exists within in his photographs distinguish Hurrell from his contemporaries and the images he produced became iconic representations of an entire era, capturing the allure, beauty, and perfection of Hollywood’s Golden Age.
Emotionally charged and executed with astounding technical ability, Hurrell sited the influence of the “sitter,” refuting the idea that the artist alone determines the subject. This conceptual distinction and collaborative relationship between Hurrell and the stars he photographed created the penetrating and evocative portraits within this collection.
Hurrell captured the greatest personalities at Metro-Goldwyn Mayer, Warner Brothers, Columbia, as well as independently. He singularly transformed the Hollywood star; elevating them from simple representations of high fashion to legends and glamorized symbols of their time.
Cambridge Art Gallery is proud to display a unique exhibition of signed limited edition silver gelatin prints of visionary photographer George Hurrell. This exhibition has been co-curated by Michael Hadley Epstein, proprietor of the largest and finest Hurrell collections in the world.
Exhibition: March 5 – March 28, 2009.
