I’m fascinated by James Dean. East of Eden and Rebel Without a Cause, they’re not fantastic movies, but by adding talent, quirkiness, good looks, and bundles of charisma, Dean’s performance alone has established these films as some of celluloid history’s absolute highlights.
It is through my Dean fascination that I discovered the American photographer Dennis Stock (1928-). Stock followed Dean around for a while, eternalising the many aspects of the young actor’s character.
Of course, Stock’s portfolio comprises more than just Dean. Stock followed the hippie movement in the 70s, and later moved on to explore urban architecture and nature photography.
But my favourites are by far his many atmospheric pictures portraying iconic Hollywood stars and renown jazz musicians from the late 50s and 60s. And the James Dean portraits, well, they are in a league of their own.
2 Comments
October 8, 2007 at 10:06 pm
that last was is eerily prophetic
October 11, 2007 at 11:15 am
True. Maybe in an equally eerie way, that’s what makes me pause upon this picture.