Start:
April 3, 2012
End:
August 26, 2012
Cost:
$0
Venue:
The Getty Center
Phone:
(310) 440-7300
Address:
Google Map
1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA, United States, 90049

Herb Ritts’ 1977 shot of actor pal Richard Gere in San Bernardino put him on the map, and his cover of Madonna’s 1986 album True Blue, which was taken in Hollywood and lead to a decades-long collaboration, made him famous. The late, L.A.-born photographer, noted for his black-and-white images inspired by Greek sculpture, is the subject of the Getty’s new “Herb Ritts: L.A. Style” (one of the museum’s two photography exhibits opening in April), which zooms in on the artist’s work in SoCal and features perhaps Ritts’ second most recognized photo of a model draped in black in the desert for Versace’s 1990 campaign. Other celebs and artists displayed are Michael Jackson, Britney Spears and Mel Gibson, athletes Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Greg Louganis, early ’90s supermodels and dancer/choreographer Bill T. Jones. The exhibit also highlights Ritts’ commercials and music videos, which began with Madonna’s 1989 “Cherish” — the first time he’d used a moving camera — and went on to include Jackson’s “In the Closet,” Janet Jackson’s “Love Will Never Do (Without You)” and Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game.”