The Art of Lee Miller
by Mark Haworth-Booth, Lee Miller (Photographer)
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"This is the most scholarly, accessible, and exciting writing on Lee Miller to date.” ---Anthony Penrose, Lee Miller Archives Lee Miller (1907--1977) was one of the most remarkable photographic artists of the 20th century. She created Surrealist-inspired photographs of haunting originality, portraits of genius, and daring war photographs. This unprecedented book brings together all of Miller’s major vintage prints for the first time, including sensational works never before published, show more rare and revealing drawings, selections from Miller’s writings as a war correspondent for Vogue magazine, and an extraordinary collage from 1937. Miller performed with unique success on both sides of the camera. A renowned beauty, she began her career being photographed as a fashion and fine art model by such luminaries as Arnold Genthe and Edward Steichen, stunning examples of which are included in this book. Miller moved to Paris in 1928, determined to take up photography; there she became the apprentice, collaborator, and muse of Man Ray. In the 1930s and ’40s, Miller shot remarkable portraits of such iconic figures as Marlene Dietrich, Charlie Chaplin, Pablo Picasso, and Salvador Dal#65533;. Turning her Surrealist eye to unexpected photographic subjects, she earned major commissions from American and European fashion magazines and also became a respected photo-journalist. Miller’s startling images of the Dachau concentration camp are among the most powerful records of the Holocaust. Published in conjunction with the centenary of Miller’s birth, this beautifully designed and produced book is an essential survey of this fascinating woman’s life and career. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
Lee Miller was a beautiful woman. She spent a great deal of time in front of the camera, first as a model for her father and then as a muse for countless others. But it is Miller's work behind the camera that is the most captivating. There is no doubt in my mind she was ahead of her time as photographer. She liked to take chances. This is especially apparent when she went to Germany to photo-journal the events of World War II. For a woman to be in the thick of it is one thing. Hundreds of women contributed to the war effort by being nurses and so forth. But for a woman to capture the haunting and often disturbing pictures that Miller did, it's quite another. She oscillated between tongue-in-cheek and shocking. Her photography gently show more fanned over the ruins of burnt out buildings, horrific operations and ladies' fashions. "Remington Silent" is one of my favorites if for nothing more than the subliminal message Miller sends. Her expose in Vogue (New York, 1945) screams absurdity as she compares German children to the burned bones of prisoners...
However, I feel this need to surprise has always been there (find the picture of the severed breast from a radical mastectomy to see what I mean). Even in her portraits Miller had the ability to send mixed messages. show less
However, I feel this need to surprise has always been there (find the picture of the severed breast from a radical mastectomy to see what I mean). Even in her portraits Miller had the ability to send mixed messages. show less
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29+ Works 827 Members
Some Editions
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Art of Lee Miller
- Original publication date
- 2007
- People/Characters
- Lee Miller
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Statistics
- Members
- 96
- Popularity
- 334,391
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.56)
- Languages
- English, French
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 6
