David Hamilton (photographer)
Encyclopedia
David Hamilton is a British photographer and occasional film director most known for his images of young women.
. His schooling was interrupted by World War II
. As an evacuee
, he spent some time in the countryside of Dorset
, which inspired his work until today. After the war, Hamilton returned to London and finished school before moving to France
where he has lived ever since.
's office. At age 20, he went to Paris
, where he worked as graphic designer
for Peter Knapp of ELLE
magazine. After becoming known and successful, he was hired away from ELLE by Queen
magazine in London as art director. Hamilton soon realized his love for Paris, however, and after returning there became the art director of Printemps
, the city's largest department store. Hamilton began photographing commercially while still employed, and the dreamy, grainy style of his images quickly brought him success.
His photographs were in demand by other magazines such as Réalités
, Twen and Photo
. By the end of the 1960s, Hamilton's work had a recognizable style. His further success included many dozens of photographic books with combined sales well into the millions, five feature films, countless magazine publishings and scores of museum and gallery exhibitions. In December 1977, Images Gallery in New York City showed his photographs, at the same time that Bilitis
was released. He also maintained an apartment in New York
. His soft focus
style also came back into fashion at Vogue, ELLE and other high-class fashion magazines from around 2003. Long ago, Hamilton lived with Mona Kristensen, who was a model in many of his early photobooks and made her screen debut in Bilitis. More recently, he was married to Gertrude but they have since divorced amicably and she lives in New York working as a painter. Hamilton divides his time between St Tropez and Paris. Since 2005 he has been enjoying a revival in popularity. In 2006 two new books were released: "David Hamilton", a collection of captioned photographs, and "Les contes érotiques" ("Erotic Tales"), which contains Hamilton's fictional short stories.
allegations, similar to that which the work of Sally Mann
and Jock Sturges
have attracted. In the late 1990s, some people protested bookstores that stocked Hamilton's photography books but their efforts came to nothing. This negative attention originated mostly from North America and Britain.
As The Guardian
wrote, "Hamilton's photographs have long been at the forefront of the "is it art or pornography?" debate.
Glenn Holland, spokesman for the 78-year-old photographer, who lives in St. Tropez, said: "We are deeply saddened and disappointed by this, as David is one of the most successful art photographers the world has ever known. His books have sold millions".
Early life and career
Hamilton grew up in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. His schooling was interrupted by World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. As an evacuee
Evacuations of civilians in Britain during World War II
Evacuation of civilians in Britain during the Second World War was designed to save the population of urban or military areas in the United Kingdom from aerial bombing of cities and military targets such as docks. Civilians, particularly children, were moved to areas thought to be less at risk....
, he spent some time in the countryside of Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, which inspired his work until today. After the war, Hamilton returned to London and finished school before moving to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
where he has lived ever since.
Photography
His artistic skills began to emerge during a job at an architectArchitect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
's office. At age 20, he went to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where he worked as graphic designer
Graphic designer
A graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, printed or electronic media, such as brochures and...
for Peter Knapp of ELLE
Elle
Elle may refer to:*Elle, Central African Republic*Elle , a fashion publication*Ellé, a river in France*Elle , a female given name*Elle , a Sri Lankan game similar to baseball*Ælle of Sussex, a Saxon king...
magazine. After becoming known and successful, he was hired away from ELLE by Queen
Queen (magazine)
Queen magazine was a British society publication established by Samuel Beeton in 1861. In 1958, the magazine was sold to Jocelyn Stevens, who dropped the prefix "The" and used it as his vehicle to represent the younger side of the British Establishment, sometimes referred to as the "Chelsea Set"...
magazine in London as art director. Hamilton soon realized his love for Paris, however, and after returning there became the art director of Printemps
Printemps
Printemps is a French department store .The flagship Printemps store is located on Boulevard Haussmann in the IXe arrondissement of Paris along with other well-known department stores like Galeries Lafayette. There are other Printemps stores in Paris and throughout France...
, the city's largest department store. Hamilton began photographing commercially while still employed, and the dreamy, grainy style of his images quickly brought him success.
His photographs were in demand by other magazines such as Réalités
Réalités
Réalités is a weekly French-language Tunisian magazine. An independent magazine, it is published by Maghreb Media each Thursday. It was founded in 1979 by Taïeb Zahar and quickly became an important element of Tunisian national media. In 2005, an Arabic version began to be published...
, Twen and Photo
Photo (French magazine)
Photo is a French magazine , about photography, previously published 10 times a year by Hachette Filipacchi Médias, and currently owned by Magweb. It concentrates on the artistic aspects of photography, rather than technical aspects...
. By the end of the 1960s, Hamilton's work had a recognizable style. His further success included many dozens of photographic books with combined sales well into the millions, five feature films, countless magazine publishings and scores of museum and gallery exhibitions. In December 1977, Images Gallery in New York City showed his photographs, at the same time that Bilitis
Bilitis (film)
Bilitis is a 1977 French romantic drama film directed by photographer David Hamilton with film score by composer Francis Lai. It stars Patti D'Arbanville and Mona Kristensen as the title characters Bilitis and Melissa respectively.-Synopsis:...
was released. He also maintained an apartment in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. His soft focus
Soft focus
In photography, soft focus is a lens flaw, in which the lens forms images that are blurred due to spherical aberration. A soft focus lens deliberately introduces spherical aberration in order to give the appearance of blurring the image while retaining sharp edges; it is not the same as an...
style also came back into fashion at Vogue, ELLE and other high-class fashion magazines from around 2003. Long ago, Hamilton lived with Mona Kristensen, who was a model in many of his early photobooks and made her screen debut in Bilitis. More recently, he was married to Gertrude but they have since divorced amicably and she lives in New York working as a painter. Hamilton divides his time between St Tropez and Paris. Since 2005 he has been enjoying a revival in popularity. In 2006 two new books were released: "David Hamilton", a collection of captioned photographs, and "Les contes érotiques" ("Erotic Tales"), which contains Hamilton's fictional short stories.
Controversy
As much of Hamilton's work depicts early-teen girls, often nude, he has been the subject of some controversy and even child pornographyChild pornography
Child pornography refers to images or films and, in some cases, writings depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child...
allegations, similar to that which the work of Sally Mann
Sally Mann
Sally Mann is an American photographer, best known for her large black-and-white photographs—at first of her young children, then later of landscapes suggesting decay and death.-Early life and education:...
and Jock Sturges
Jock Sturges
Jock Sturges is an American photographer, best known for his images of nude adolescents and their families, primarily taken at communes in Northern California and at the Atlantic-coast naturist resort at Montalivet, France. His work has been the subject of controversy...
have attracted. In the late 1990s, some people protested bookstores that stocked Hamilton's photography books but their efforts came to nothing. This negative attention originated mostly from North America and Britain.
As The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
wrote, "Hamilton's photographs have long been at the forefront of the "is it art or pornography?" debate.
Glenn Holland, spokesman for the 78-year-old photographer, who lives in St. Tropez, said: "We are deeply saddened and disappointed by this, as David is one of the most successful art photographers the world has ever known. His books have sold millions".
Books
- Dreams of a Young Girl (1971)
- Sisters (1972)
- La Danse (1972)
- Souvenirs (1974)
- The Best of David Hamilton (1976)
- David Hamilton's Private Collection (1976)
- Hamilton's Movie Bilitis (1977)
- The Young Girl (1978)
- Tender Cousins (1981)
- Un été à Saint-Tropez (1985)
- Vingt-Cinq Ans D'un Artiste (1992)
- Twenty Five Years of an ArtistTwenty Five Years of an ArtistTwenty Five Years of an Artist is a photography book looking at the long career of David Hamilton. The book, 316 pages in length, includes both photographs and 20 pages of text, scattered between the pictures....
(1993) - The Age of Innocence (1995)
- A Place In The Sun (1996)
- Holiday SnapshotsHoliday Snapshots (David Hamilton)Holiday Snapshots is a photography collection of b&w and color images by British photographer David Hamilton, continuing his interest in adolescent girls, nudity and erotica...
(1999) - David Hamilton (November 2006)
- Erotic Tales (French and German only so far) (December 2006)
Films
- BilitisBilitis (film)Bilitis is a 1977 French romantic drama film directed by photographer David Hamilton with film score by composer Francis Lai. It stars Patti D'Arbanville and Mona Kristensen as the title characters Bilitis and Melissa respectively.-Synopsis:...
(1977) - Laura, les ombres de l'été (Laura, The Shades of Summer, released as "Laura") (1979)
- Tendres cousines (Tender Cousins) (1980)
- A Summer in St. TropezA Summer in St. TropezA Summer in St. Tropez or Un été à Saint-Tropez is a 1983 French film, written and directed by photographer David Hamilton....
(Un été à Saint-Tropez) (1983) - Premier désirs (First Desires)(1984)
External links
- David Hamilton's Works at “Childhood in Art”
- Profile by Evan Daze
- Gallery at “Epson Digigraphie”