Video Portraits of Lady Gaga
New York: RW Work Ltd., 2014. Small quarto, publisher’s stiff illustrated paper wraps.
“I always thought of them as a window in a room, or a fire in a fireplace. It is always there, always changing. It does not demand your constant attention. The still life is a real life.” Monograph showcasing “video portraits” by Robert Wilson, an experimental stage director and designer, featuring Lady Gaga. The copy has been inscribed by Wilson on the title page. Wilson uses elements from his celebrated theater work–lighting, costume, make up, choreography, gesture, text, voice, set design–to create HD videos of portrait-sitters, including A-listers such as Brad Pitt, Winona Ryder, and Salma Hayek. In this series, Gaga is transformed into various subjects from art history, including Jacques-Louis David's "The Death of Marat" (1793), multiple interpretations of Andrea Solari's "Head of Saint John the Baptist," and Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres's "Portrait of Mademoiselle Caroline Rivière" (1806). The latter required a grueling 7-hour pose, causing tears to stream down Gaga's cheeks. Originally presented at the Louvre in 2013, this catalog was published in conjunction with an exhibition of the portraits at the Watermill Center gala benefit in 2014. Inscribed in marker “8.17.14 / For Cynthia and Nathan / Lots of Love, Bob”. Illustrated with color stills. Light wear to wraps, near fine. Item #7735
$125.00