2012 Lucie Awards Honoree, Greg Gorman

For over four decades, Greg Gorman has continued to master the art of photography.  From personality portraits and advertising campaigns to magazine layouts and fine art work, Mr. Gorman has developed and showcased a discriminating and unique style in his profession.

Greg Gorman’s work documents that peculiar obsession of the 20th century celebrity.  His photography is timeless and not confined to has-beens, hot properties, and wannabes.  Each shot gives a picture of human nature in its infinite range.  Each picture is also a testament to the individual character. “For me a photograph is most successful when it doesn’t answer all the questions,” says Gorman, “and it leaves something to be desired.”

The Fahey/Klein Gallery of Los Angeles represents Greg Gorman’s fine art work worldwide. Mr. Gorman currently has several shows of his photographic works touring the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan and China. In addition to gallery exhibitions, his work has been exhibited in museum shows such as the Scavi Scaligeri, in Verona, the Palacio Pombal in Lisbon, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Mr. Gorman latest book Framed: Greg Gorman for l.a.Eyeworks, features the images from his award winning ad campaign for l.a. Eyeworks and will be released in early 2012.  2009 marked the release of Mr. Gorman’s eighth compilation of his work entitled of In Their Youth, which incorporates forty years of unpublished work. These releases join his previously published books Greg Gorman Volume I, Greg Gorman Volume II, Inside Life, Perspectives, As I See It, and Just Between Us as well as the limited edition book of platinum prints, Odes to Pindar, published by The Journal of the 21st Century. Greg was honored to be one of the 55 photographers asked to shoot for Editions Didier Millet book and exhibition 9 Days in the Kingdom: Thailand, released in the Fall of 2007. Currently in production is a book featuring Mr. Gorman’s journalistic street photography, due to be released in 2013.

One of Mr. Gorman’s strengths has been photographing motion picture and music personalities.  His work has been used for film advertising and publicity campaigns as well as album and CD covers.  Some of the motion picture celebrities that he has photographed include Ben Affleck, Alec Baldwin, Antonio Banderas, Kim Basinger, Marlon Brando, Pierce Brosnan, Kevin Costner, Tom Cruise, Bette Davis, Robert De Niro, Johnny Depp, Leonardo Di Caprio, Andy Garcia, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Dustin Hoffman, Sophia Loren, Al Pacino, Barbra Streisand, Kiera Knightley and John Travolta.

In the music field, Mr. Gorman has worked with Elton John, Michael Jackson, David Bowie, John Mayer, Bette Midler, and Iggy Pop to name a few. Some of Mr. Gorman’s more visible efforts have been seen in connection with the motion picture industry.  A partial list of the films that he has generated graphics and publicity for include  “Pirates of the Caribbean”, “King Arthur”, “Tootsie”, “The Big Chill”, “Bull Durham” and the Key Art Award winner “Pearl Harbor”.

Many of his advertising endeavors have enlisted the talents of celebrities including his award-winning l.a. Eyeworks campaign.  Portraits of Divine, Grace Jones, Andy Warhol, John Waters, and David Hockney have graced the pages of Interview, Wallpaper, Paper and Details for L.A. Eyeworks. Other celebrity-endorsed campaigns have been for Dierre Italy, Baume and Mercier, Levis, Serengeti, DDI Cellular, Foster Grant, Omega, Roots, Wyler Vetta, Robert Mondavi, Isuzu, Rolex and Visa.

Mr. Gorman has lectured and conducted seminars and workshops throughout the world. He currently conducts quarterly Digital Photographic Workshops at his studio in Mendocino, California.  Greg has traveled to Southeast Asia and China to speak for Epson. A project for Disney in conjunction with the Travel Association of America, took him on a 45 day shoot across the United States shooting subjects from all 50 states.  The imagery was featured in the video “We The People”

Born in 1949 in Kansas City, Missouri, Mr. Gorman attended the University of Kansas with a major in photojournalism.  He completed his studies at the University of Southern California; graduating with a master of fine arts degree in cinematography in 1972.  Mr. Gorman has been recognized for his contribution to the world of photography as well as his charitable works for such organizations as Fight Aids Monaco, Carousel of Hope, Keep Memory Alive, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and the Just Ask! Foundation for Neurofibromatosis. Mr. Gorman has been honored by The Aids Healthcare Foundation, Focus on Aids, The Oscar De La Hoya Foundation, Vox/Out Voices of Style + Design, PETA, Angel Art, Pacific Design Center Stars of Design, and PawsLA.

He currently resides in Los Angeles and Mendocino, California.