Posters By Artists To Promote Wasteland
….This is the first poster that I shot for Vault Productions to promote the Wasteland extravaganza. Over the years several distinguished artists have been invited to produce images to promote the event that include, Fritz Kok, Micha Klein, Gerard Wessel, Edland Man, Carli Hermes, Erwin Olaf and your’s truly……
Largest Fetish Party In The World
….I first learned about Wasteland on one of my many extended trips to my home away from home Amsterdam, The Netherlands. One evening when I was out on the town with a group of friends, I was informed that the organizers of Wasteland heard a rumor that I was in town and asked if I would meet with them to discuss their upcoming party. They were interested in commissioning me to produce a picture to be used on a poster to promote the event. This is no ordinary party, it’s a *special* party and when they set a date for the extravaganza, 4000 people show up to celebrate the event. So, I went to the meeting and learned more about the players involved, Rene Meuessen and Jeroen Oosterhout, principals of Vault Productions . Rene and Jeroen have been involved with the nightlife scene in Amsterdam for the past two decades and they are the best people to know if you want to have a good time while your staying in Holland. This years event will be held on the 14th of November and yours truly plans to be in attendance! They’ve asked me to make a guest appearance and photograph the event as I have for the past 10 years while one of Hollands top VJ’s projects my images live at the event. There are fashion shows, live performer’s, people attending the event engaged in acts at random and top DJ’s and VJ’s provide the sight’s and sounds of this twice yearly visual and auditory feast. The next Wasteland will commemorate it’s 15th year of existence and will culminate in a book publication of my experiences at this amazing spectacle in 2010. This is the ultimate party for the true hedonist, dress code required. For more information about the event email my good friend Rene at rene@vaultevents.nl, tell him I sent you!………..
Jamie Wyeth On Fake Horse
….Earlier this year on January 16th, 2009 Jamie Wyeth lost his dad Andrew, the legendary patriarch of the Wyeth family of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. I first learned about this famous family of artist’s from my dad, Milton Ward an artist in his own right, who studied American Art History with a passion. As a young boy, I recall dad purchased a framed copy of Andrew Wyeth’s, “Christina’s World”, which dad and many art critics considered, a masterwork of American 20th century painting. It hung in our living room for years as one of dad’s example’s of Wyeth’s best work.
Decades later while on assignment for Philadelphia magazine I was asked to cover a reception for Andrew Wyeth at the Brandywine River Museum, a depository of some of the best examples of Wyeth’s work. It was quite an experience meeting a man that as a young boy I heard so much about. I became friends with some of the Wyeth’s inner circle and was asked again to return to “Wyeth Country” as it’s known with affection to photograph son Jamie. I arrived at Jamie’s property which was not that far from his father’s on a beautiful summer Chadd’s Ford day, the type of day that often exuded the quality of light that the Wyeth’s liked to paint. The landscape in that area of Pennsylvania is breathtaking and the Wyeth’s owned a lot of it.
When I first arrived at the sprawling farm I was greeted by Jamie’s wife Phylis, a Dupont heir who kept her home immaculate and just about everywhere you looked Norman Rockwell could have created a number of vignette’s. After Phylis and I got to know each other a little, Jamie walked in to their large living room to meet me. A handsome man, rugged, sturdy and a willing smile. We proceeded to walk around his home as he showed me some of his own paintings. An accomplished painter in his own right, I was familiar with several of the paintings he pointed out to me. We proceeded to walk outside the farm house, to look for an outdoor setting to create his portrait. I learned from my editor at Philadelphia magazine, that Jamie was some what of a ladies man and I was briefed on some other aspects of his personality which resulted in this picture. My best to the Wyeth family in this year of loss…..
A History Of Being Borked
…After seeing part of the Sonia Sotomayor senate hearings as she ascended to the Supreme Court recently, I rummaged through my hard drive in search for another George magazine assignment from my past. I was sent to Washington to photograph former circuit Judge Robert Bork. I knew the name instantly as I recalled that he was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Reagan in 1981 and was riveted to the television set like many Americans, who witnessed a phalanx of US Senators deny his entrance to the ultimate position of power. I didn’t know what to expect from him as I was introduced by his secretary, nor was I briefed much about his temperament or how he perceived representatives of the media in general. He was actually quite engaging and assertive as one would expect a judicial leader to be…..
Armey Is At It Again
….During the mid 90’s, even though my love for fashion photography was growing, I was assigned to produce portraits for George magazine, the brainchild of John Kennedy Jr. John Jacques Naudet, an editor at large who was working for American Photo at the time was a fan of my work and introduced me to my editor at George. Jean Jacques is the father, whose son’s the Naudet twins, were the documentary film makers who captured on movie film the extraordinary events of September 11th, while they working on a film project about the New York City Fire Department.
One of my assignments for George was to travel to Washington to photograph our House Majority leader at the time, Dick Armey, for a profile the magazine was publishing about his service to our nation. I was told by my editor, knowing that I was in to fashion, to take note of Mr. Armey’s boot’s as he often wore traditional cowboy boot’s, even while wearing his mainstream Washington uniform, the traditional gray pin stripe suit, white Oxford collar and tie. So the first thing I asked Mr. Armey to do in preparation for our sitting was to hand over his boot’s for closer examination. They were memorable boot’s all right, custom made Tony Lama’s, with his name inscribed. I even took a still life of them on a white seamless. I thought he was pretty hip at first, but then I learned about his politics. During the sitting we took pause to await the verdict on the year long trial of OJ Simpson. There I was, in the office of one of the most powerful political leaders in America, staring at a television set to hear the jury’s verdict. I didn’t know how to play it, he didn’t say whether he thought OJ was guilty or not. Once the verdict was read he said that he would later call his wife in relief that OJ was found guilty. The only thing we had in common was the guilty verdict and even less now that I recently learned that Mr. Armey is the chairperson for Freedom Works organization. There was a big rally a few days ago on Capitol Hill. There he was on CNN, 15 years later, with out a political office stirring it up again for the GOP………
Esther Young Movie Star Look's
….Esther was great to photograph from virtually any angle. In this picture she reminds me so much of Kim Bassinger. This Dutch beauty has got it all…..
The Love Lost Scene
…There is always a lot of play acting in fashion. Esther was remarkably talented in taking direction and evoking whatever mood I was trying to achieve in our sitting. The feeling in this scene was to create the mood of love lost. She depicted it well……….
Stunning Look's And Legs, Great Coat
….Esther wore the coat well and the panties underneath even better. She has so much style and class it’s remarkable. No wonder she has done so well in fashion. On the set she was polite, lighthearted and ultra sophisticated…..sexy……
Fashion Shoot Location Amsterdam
….Sascha Lilic suggested we work with the breathtaking Esther Young for this editiorial picture produced in Amsterdam for Spoon magazine. Sascha styled Esther on a shoot for Helmut Newton week’s earlier, so he thought she would be comfortable with my scene, knowing of course that Helmut and I shared similar erotic propensities. Esther and I hit it off effortlessly, resulting in many memorable pictures. That is Sascha making a cameo on the left side of the picture….
Man In The Mirror, Sascha Lilic
…..Tony and I met through Sascha Lilic, the man whose reflection is cast in the mirror in this picture. Sascha is a world renowned stylist and creative director who for many years worked alongside the legendary Helmut Newton on some of his most coveted assignments. Sascha and I collaborated on this shoot for Spoon magazine on location in Los Angeles……..