DESCRIPTION
One of a handful of artists to emerge from Andy Warhol’s famed Interview magazine, Matthew Rolston is a well-established icon of Hollywood photography.
Alongside such luminaries as Herb Ritts and Greg Gorman, Rolston was a member of an influential group of photographers (among them, Bruce Weber, Annie Leibovitz, and Steven Meisel) who came from the 1980s magazine scene. Rolston helped define the era’s take on celebrity imagemaking, gender bending, and much more.
Edited by long-time Los Angeles–based gallerist and curator David Fahey, this project, HOLLYWOOD ROYALE: Out of the School of Los Angeles — which includes Rolston’s fourth monograph, as well as a traveling exhibition — presents an array of portraits that beautifully and succinctly capture the decade and its myriad talents. From Michael Jackson and Madonna, to Prince, George Michael and Cyndi Lauper, the selection of images reflects a seamless blend of style and imagination.
The project features over one hundred photographs selected from Rolston’s extensive body of work, centering on his portraits of the era’s most famous personalities. The book includes essays by authors Pat Hackett, Andy Warhol’s longtime collaborator and diarist; Colin Westerbeck, noted photographic curator and expert on legendary American photographer Irving Penn; and Charles Churchward, longtime creative director of both Vogue and Vanity Fair magazines and author of The Golden Hour, a definitive biography of photographer Herb Ritts.
Hollywood Royale: Out of the School of Los Angeles, paints a memorable picture of an indelible imagemaker and the film stars, models, and artists he immortalized during the 1980s.
Rolston’s photographs recall the glamour of Old Hollywood with postmodern irony, helping to point the way towards the cult of fame we live with today. From pop stars to movie stars, TV personalities to socialites, Warhol’s protégé presents a virtual ‘who’s who’ of 1980s celebrity.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Matthew Rolston is an artist who works in photography and video. In 1977, Rolston was ‘discovered’ by Andy Warhol, who commissioned portraits for his proto-celebrity magazine, Interview, followed by assignments for Rolling Stone magazine, from founding editor Jann Wenner, and soon after, by Vanity Fair, under editors Tina Brown and later, Graydon Carter.
Rolston’s 1980s images are notable for their glamorous lighting and detail-rich sets. His work has helped define the contemporary aesthetics of American portrait photography. Rolston’s photographs have been exhibited worldwide and are in the permanent collections of LACMA and the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., among others.
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
An extensive exhibition features the works, many for the first time in a gallery setting. A selection of over 30 images will travel across Europe and the United States.
ABOUT THE BOOK
HOLLYWOOD ROYALE: Out of the School of Los Angeles contains a veritable compendium of Rolston’s innovative photographic techniques. The images range from classic vintage-style 8x10 camera portraits to more stylized experiments in cross-processing, multiple exposure, and high-contrast color.