Hugo Rittson Thomas
dal 18/8/2015 al 18/9/2015
Segnalato da
18/8/2015
Hugo Rittson Thomas
Eleven Fine Art, London
The Queen's People is a compelling photographic portrait of the British monarchy and those who sustain it. At the heart of the project is fifty formally posed portraits in a unique studio setting.
Eleven is pleased to present The Queen’s People, photographs by Hugo Rittson-Thomas. The Queen’s
People is a compelling photographic portrait of the British monarchy and those who sustain it. At the
heart of the project is fifty formally posed portraits in a unique studio setting. The project offers an
exclusive insight into the traditional dress codes and pageant of our nation – while also giving a
captivating sense of the living characters behind the royal and ceremonial regalia in a never before seen
environment. His most recent portrait of the Duchess of Cornwall will be debuted in the exhibition.
The project includes an exploration of formal dress worn by members of the military, livery, palace,
parliament, clergy and peers in a formal reflective studio setting. Unlike anything that’s been done
before, the subjects were placed in a corner of mirrors, and positioned in a way that reflects multiple
angles and views of their dress all at once. The contemporary nature of the series is highlighted by the
use of four different simultaneous angles of view. The isolation of the subject in a neutral background,
and the dignity and poise of the simple full-length portrait, reinvents traditional court portrait painting.
Inspired by masters such as Diego Velázquez, Antonis Mor, and Irving Penn, Rittson-Thomas’s dark
backgrounds highlight the rich and vibrant cardinal reds and gleaming gold of the regalia. The resulting
portraits are modern and offering a rare up close glimpse into the traditions, dress, and people of the
British monarchy. Although formal and technically exact, Rittson-Thomas’s portraits are nuanced, and
reveal much of the personality of the sitters.
Through being granted privileged, personal access by the Queen and Royal Household, Rittson-Thomas
has photographed not just his esteemed sitters, but also their priceless and rarely seen ceremonial
uniforms. The beauty and craftsmanship of these garments is eclipsed only by the magnitude of their
history and tradition, and the ceremonies that are linked to them.
Hugo Rittson-Thomas was born in 1956 and lives and works in London. Rittson-Thomas is one of the
UK’s leading portrait photographers. He studied at Central St. Martin’s and Goldsmiths University of
London and took part in the landmark exhibition Temple of Diana alongside Tracey Emin at The Blue
Gallery (1999). He has worked extensively as a producer and director of television and film including
directing the BAFTA award winning series Network 7 and the award-winning documentary The Totter.
In 2011 he started working on a photographic series entitled Creatives, documenting a number of high
profile individuals including: Ron Arad, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Kylie Minogue and artists Gilbert and
George.
Image: The Yeomen of the Guard
Press Contact: Susannah Haworth on +44 (0)20 7823 5540 or on susannah@elevenfineart.com
Private view: 10th September, 6 to 8pm
Eleven
11 Eccleston Street, New York
Tue - Fri 11am to 6pm, Sat 11am to 4pm