Timothy Greenfield-Sanders: XXX: 30 Porn Star Portraits
Past exhibition
-
Works
-
Overview
Timothy Greenfield-Sanders (b. Miami Beach, Florida, 1952) is an American portrait photographer and filmmaker celebrated for his elegant, psychologically charged depictions of cultural figures and his groundbreaking documentary projects exploring identity and representation. Known for his signature use of the large-format 8x10 view camera, Greenfield-Sanders captures his sitters—ranging from artists and musicians to politicians and activists—with a quiet intensity that foregrounds presence, dignity, and individuality. His portraits balance formal precision with emotional depth, often serving as visual extensions of his cinematic work.
Greenfield-Sanders studied art history at Columbia University before earning his MFA in film from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. He has directed and produced numerous acclaimed documentaries, including Lou Reed: Rock and Roll Heart (1998), which won a Grammy Award, and his celebrated portrait series The Black List, The Latino List, The Out List, The Boomer List, and The Trans List, all of which premiered on HBO.
-
News
-
Press Release
John Berggruen Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of recent photographs by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders. This exhibition opens January 12, 2005, and will run through February 12, 2005.
This exhibition will consists of a selection of 30 portrait photographs from Greenfield-Sanders recently published book entitled, XXX 30 Porn-Star Portraits. The photographs are side-by-side portraits – one clothed and one nude – of the top stars in pornographic film. The diptychs come in two sizes: Large: 58 x 44 inches each and Small: 20 x 16 inches each.
Artist Timothy Greenfield-Sanders is renowned for his portraits of members of the art world such as artists, musicians, critics. Inspired by Boogie Nights, a Hollywood film about the private lives of porn-stars, Greenfield-Sanders began a new series of portraits in this vein. He chose to photograph people from all aspects of the industry: old and young, famous and unknown, gay and straight, male and female. The exhibition will include industry legends such as Jenna Jameson and Ron Jeremy.
According to Greenfield-Sanders, his goal was not to pass judgment on this industry, but instead to expose the essential dignity, beauty, and humanness of these porn-stars. He asked his sitters to act naturally in front of the camera and avoid a sexy, “pin-uppy” stance. The result is a series of portraits that confront the viewer with an honest and directed stare. The presence of these people is both startling and commanding as the depth of their individuality and psychology is revealed.
Greenfield-Sanders’ book: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders XXX: 30 Porn-Star Portraits (published by Bulfinch) contains all thirty portraits. In addition, both HBO and 60 Minutes have produced documentaries on the process of this project.
Timothy Greenfield-Sanders attended Columbia University in New York. His work is shown internationally and is a part of many museum collections such as the Marimura Art Museum in Japan, the Museo de Arte Moderno e Contemporania in Italy, the Museum of Design in Germany, the Museo Contemporaneo in Mexico, and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth in Texas.
-
Inquire
Send me more information on Timothy Greenfield-Sanders
