Jane Bown, the excellence of persistence and consistency
© Jane Bown (The Guardian)
Jane Bown, one of the most revered photographers in the UK, and one of the most significant portrait artists of the last 5 decades, is an example of excellence by being persistent while being consistent. This is the story of a newspaper and a photographer that partnered to create one of the most outstanding collections of images of people that matter, celebrities or not, since 1949, the year when “The Observer” (a sister paper of The Guardian) published the first photograph by Jane Bown. Since then the partnership has continued, six decades of reporting, six decades of art. What is most remarkable is how along the years, even using a very similar style, the portraits don””t look dated, they look fresh and vibrant. This enduring quality is what makes her work so special. The excellence of persistence and consistency.
As part of the publication of a retrospective collection of her work, a book titled “Exposures” (that Amazon.com is yet to import to the USA), “The Guardian” has published online an outstanding multimedia retrospective of her images. There is a corresponding exhibition of 100 portraits ongoing in London, at Kings Place Gallery, on display until November 21st, 2009.
© Jane Bown (The Guardian)
© Jane Bown (The Guardian)
