73 min listen
Albert Watson (Photographer: Vogue, Rolling Stone, Harper's Bazaar, more)
Albert Watson (Photographer: Vogue, Rolling Stone, Harper's Bazaar, more)
ratings:
Length:
61 minutes
Released:
Nov 24, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
Today’s guest, the celebrated photographer Albert Watson, OBE, is a man on the move.
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This is not a recent development. Watson’s professional journey began in Scotland in 1959, where he studied mathematics at night. His day job? Working for the Ministry of Defense plotting courses—speed, altitude, distance, payload—for British missiles pointed towards Cold War Russia.
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Watson’s affinity for the mathematical gave way to his interest in the arts, when, in school, he dove head-first into ALL of them: drawing, painting, textile design, pottery, silversmithing, and graphic design.
¶
Later, on his 21st birthday his wife bought him a small camera. He became obsessed:
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“All I know is that I clicked the shutter, and suddenly, magically, I got negatives back, that I could learn to process myself. And then, even better, I got into a dark room with a piece of white paper under an enlarger, and you put it in some chemistry, and lo and behold, up comes an image. Magic—black magic, I called it. Amazing, insane, beautiful.”
¶
Then came the magazines: Harper’s Bazaar, GQ, Mademoiselle, Entertainment Weekly, Details, and Vogue. ALL of the Vogues. And the ad campaigns: Prada, Chanel, Revlon, and Levis.
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And yet, after all that, talk to the man about his work, any facet of his career, and the conversation invariably comes back to the print—the math, the chemistry, the graphic design involved—and about the journey the print takes—from camera to magazine, from magazine to gallery and, sometimes, from gallery to museum, as so many of his have.
¶
Our editor-at-large George Gendron talked to Watson about all of it—day rates, social media, and his stunning apartment in TriBeCa.
¶
This is not a recent development. Watson’s professional journey began in Scotland in 1959, where he studied mathematics at night. His day job? Working for the Ministry of Defense plotting courses—speed, altitude, distance, payload—for British missiles pointed towards Cold War Russia.
¶
Watson’s affinity for the mathematical gave way to his interest in the arts, when, in school, he dove head-first into ALL of them: drawing, painting, textile design, pottery, silversmithing, and graphic design.
¶
Later, on his 21st birthday his wife bought him a small camera. He became obsessed:
¶
“All I know is that I clicked the shutter, and suddenly, magically, I got negatives back, that I could learn to process myself. And then, even better, I got into a dark room with a piece of white paper under an enlarger, and you put it in some chemistry, and lo and behold, up comes an image. Magic—black magic, I called it. Amazing, insane, beautiful.”
¶
Then came the magazines: Harper’s Bazaar, GQ, Mademoiselle, Entertainment Weekly, Details, and Vogue. ALL of the Vogues. And the ad campaigns: Prada, Chanel, Revlon, and Levis.
¶
And yet, after all that, talk to the man about his work, any facet of his career, and the conversation invariably comes back to the print—the math, the chemistry, the graphic design involved—and about the journey the print takes—from camera to magazine, from magazine to gallery and, sometimes, from gallery to museum, as so many of his have.
¶
Our editor-at-large George Gendron talked to Watson about all of it—day rates, social media, and his stunning apartment in TriBeCa.
Released:
Nov 24, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (47)
Robert Newman (Designer: Entertainment Weekly, Details, Fortune, Vibe, more): To call designer Robert Newman “ubiquitous” might be an understatement. The entries on Bob’s resume are a name-droppers dream: The Village Voice, Entertainment Weekly, New York Magazine, Details, Vibe, Fortune, and Real Simple. That’s enough brands for multiple careers, but Bob has worked on all of them — and quite a few others — in one lifetime. And he’s still at it. Despite all of the accolades, Bob is one of the nicest guys around. Those who’ve worked for him — and there are many — use descriptions like, “kind,” “supportive,” “mentor,” “constant,” “spokesman for our industry,” and “unwavering friend.” Need proof? After a devastating injury in 2013 that put him in a coma for more than three weeks, Newman’s friends and fans rallied to raise tens of thousands of dollars to help pay for his mounting medical bills and treatment costs, and to help him support his family. He’s a popular guy. In 1998, alon by Print Is Dead (Long Live Print!)