The National Arts Club and its Fine Arts Committee presents a survey of portraiture by the renowned American photographer Michael Halsband on display March 30th – April 25th and will include two unseen works. A reception, open to the public, will take place on April 2nd 6pm – 8pm.
Halsband’s 1985 iconic portrait of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol no. 143 in boxing gloves became such a staple of popular culture that its appropriation by contemporary visual artists and street artists continues thirty years on. This was an auspicious early moment in a career that saw Halsband photographing a canon of 20th century artists, writers and musicians including James Brown, David Byrne, Jim Carroll, Johnny Depp, Iggy Pop, LL Cool J, Klaus Nomi, R.E.M., The Rolling Stones, Hunter S. Thompson, Peter Tosh, AC/DC and many more. This exhibition at The National Arts Club will span over three decades of the artist’s portraits, including two never-before exhibited works: a photograph from the 1985 Warhol Basquiat with boxing gloves series and an up-close 35mm film of The Rolling Stones’ Live Performance during their Tattoo You tour.
Halsband explains his photographic process, "My heroes are sociologists and archaeologists; people who study cultures. They inspired me to flatten the whole thing and take the drama out of it. It's about more than just famous people, since every photo sitting has to be on level ground, with no-one having the upper hand. When I'm photographing, it is about letting what is, be.”
Born and raised in New York City, Halsband attended the School of Visual Arts. His photographs are included in the collection of Museum of Modern Art, New York; The Israel Museum, Jerusalem; The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas; Miami Museum of Contemporary Art, Florida; The Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland, Maine; and the Parrish Art Museum, Southampton, New York.
Opening Reception: April 2nd, 2015. 6 – 8 PM
Sunday Salon with Michael Halsband: April 12th, 2015. 2:30pm
For all print sales inquiries please contact Payal Parekh, payal@payalartsinternational.com
