Al Vandenberg(1932–2012) was an American photographer notable for his street portraiture and collaboration on the album cover ofSgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club BandbyThe Beatles.[1][2][3][4]
Al Vandenberg | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | August 31, 1932 Boston,United States |
| Died | March 20, 2012(aged 79) Hereford,UK |
| Occupation | Photographer |
| Website | www |
Early life
editVandenberg was born toDutchparents in Boston, USA in 1932. Joining theUS militaryand serving in theKorean War,Vandenberg later attended art school in Boston then studied photography in New York City withAlexey Brodovitch,Richard AvedonandBruce Davidson.Taking images of poverty, urban deprivation and ethnic minorities on the streets of New York – themes already explored byDiane ArbusandGarry Winogrand– Vandenberg's photographs were subsequently exhibited at theSmithsonian Institutionfor PresidentLyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty.[5]
Photographic career
editVandenberg worked as an art director for ad agency Doyle, Dane and Bernbach in New York. He was already a keen photographer before moving to London and had a photograph in the Museum of Modern Art. He moved to London in 1964 to pursue a career in photography- editorial, fashion, advertising and music. Vandenberg collaborated on the album cover of Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Disillusioned with his commercial practice, Vandenberg eventually abandoned his business work altogether to concentrate on his personal street portraits.[6]
Everything I made money on was fucking up the world. I philosophised myself out of the business quick. All these people tell you they want to use you, and bloody hell they do. I was tired of making a living. I wanted to live instead. –Al Vandenberg[7]
From the 1970s onwards, Vandenberg's own photographs—as opposed to his commercial work—were made on the streets, although the emphasis of the pictures had now changed. Where earlier he had studied depression and poverty, producing images of alienation, he now photographed people looking directly into the camera and enjoying themselves; people who attracted him and with whom he could establish a rapport. His subjects were now relaxed and responsive, sharing with him in the making of the picture. His series of high street photographs embraced the people of Singapore, Tokyo, Hollywood, New York, Hong Kong, Beijing,Laosand London, and totalled thousands of images.[8]
In 1980 Vandenberg co-founded the "Hereford Photography Festival".[9]This was the longest running annual photography competition in the UK until its closure in 2012.[10][11][12]
In 2016 Stanley Barker published Vandenberg’s first monograph ‘On a Good Day: Al Vandenberg’. "Vandenberg sees all this with a sincere and perceptive eye and a sensitive understanding of character, regardless of social standing and cultural background…" explains Senior Curator of the V&A, Martin Barnes, in his afterword.[13][14]
Death
editVandenberg died in Hereford, UK in 2012 having completed his third trip to China where he was preparing a body of work on its young people entitled "The Good People of China". Shortly after Vandenberg's death in 2012 his work was exhibited atTate Britainand theV&A MuseumLondon.[15][16][17]
Vandenberg is survived by three children, Michael, Thomas and Tess.
Permanent collections
edit- The Smithsonian Institution,Washington DC
- The Stedelijk Museum,Amsterdam
- Musee de L'Elysee,Lausanne
- The Kobal Collection
- The Wagstaff Collection
- Museum of Modern Art, New York
- Victoria & Albert Museum, London
- British Council
- Tate Britain, London[18]
Selected exhibitions
editReferences
edit- ^"Staying Power – Al Vandenberg".Victoria and Albert Museum.
- ^"Another London: photos of London from 1930–1980".The Telegraph.October 3, 2017.
- ^"Cover shoot for Sgt Pepper".March 30, 1967.
- ^"London through a lens".July 17, 2012.
- ^"Al Vandernberg".Eric Frank Fine Art.
- ^"Collection | Artists | al Vandenberg | British Council − Visual Arts".Archived fromthe originalon December 6, 2014.RetrievedNovember 8,2014.
- ^"alvandenberg.com".alvandenberg.com.RetrievedSeptember 15,2019.
- ^"My generation: British childhood from the age of austerity to the age".October 19, 2012.
- ^"Hereford Photography Festival".photofest.org.Archived fromthe originalon January 15, 2015.RetrievedSeptember 15,2019.
- ^"Photo festival reaches 20 years".October 22, 2010 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
- ^"Hereford Photography Festival – The Arts Desk".theartsdesk.com.November 10, 2010.
- ^*20(PDF),Hereford Photography Festival
- ^"Portraits of London Life".The New York Times Magazine.June 29, 2016.
- ^"On a Good Day: Al Vandenberg".Stanley Barker.
- ^"'Another London: exhibition room guide, room 7'".
- ^"Staying Power".Victoria and Albert Museum.
- ^"A city seen through fresh eyes".Financial Times.June 23, 2012.
- ^"Al Vandenberg".visualarts.britishcouncil.org.RetrievedSeptember 22,2021.
- ^"Al Vandenberg 1932–2012".Tate.RetrievedSeptember 22,2021.
- ^"Search Results".Victoria and Albert Museum.RetrievedSeptember 22,2021.
General references
editThis article includes a list ofgeneral references,butit lacks sufficient correspondinginline citations.(September 2023) |
- V&A · Staying Power: Photographs of Black British Experience
- https://web.archive.org/web/20141206151833/http://collection.britishcouncil.org/collection/artists/al-vandenberg-1932
- Another London: exhibition room guide, room 7
- Another London: photos of London from 1930–1980
- The Beatles Bible – Cover shoot for Sgt Pepper
- My generation: British childhood from the age of austerity to the age of excess | London Evening Standard
- Hodgson, Francis (June 23, 2012)."A city seen through fresh eyes: A large gift of photographs to Tate will shed new light on London".Financial Times.RetrievedSeptember 8,2023.
- Steward, Sue (July 17, 2012)."London through a lens".Evening Standard.RetrievedSeptember 8,2023.
- Photo festival reaches 20 years
- Hereford Photography Festival | The Arts Desk
- [1]
External links
edit
Media related toAl Vandenbergat Wikimedia Commons