Vidal Sassoon Demonstrating his Skills, 1964
Photograph
1961 (made)
1961 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Vidal Sassoon was a hairdresser who rose to fame in the 1960s for creating the ‘bob’ haircut, popularised by the fashion designer Mary Quant. Here he is photographed at work, his deft movements accentuated by deliberate blurring.
John Cowan was a leading fashion photographer during the 1960s. His photographs epitomised the playful, graphically dynamic style of commercial photography practised in London during the 1960s.
John Cowan was a leading fashion photographer during the 1960s. His photographs epitomised the playful, graphically dynamic style of commercial photography practised in London during the 1960s.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Vidal Sassoon Demonstrating his Skills, 1964 (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Gelatin-silver print |
| Brief description | Photograph showing Vidal Sassoon at work, by John Cowan, London, 1961 |
| Physical description | Black and white photograph of hairdresser Vidal Sassoon at work, his brisk movements accentuated by deliberate blurring. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Gallery label | John Cowan captured the spirit and the explosive energy of the revolution in British culture which took shape in the early sixties. Self-taught, he had started working as a freelance photographer in 1958. Within a year his strong documentary and informal portrait work became the subject of a one-man exhibition, 'Through the Light Barrier'. Cowan soon found his metier as a fashion photographer. His 1962 meeting with model Jill Kennington sparked an exciting period of high-octane image-making for numerous magazines and newspapers.
In 1966 his studio provided the principal set for Antonioni's film, 'Blow-Up'. Cowan himself was prominent among the new generation of photographers whose lifestyles provided the inspiration for the film's central character. Cowan was ambitious and reckless.
The adventurous spirit that injected such energy into his pictures was ill-adapted to the practical aspects of sustaining his success. By the end of the decade he was in financial difficulties and falling out of step with the world of fashion. He left London for Milan, Paris and New York. Returning in 1970, he was unable to pick up the pieces of his career. His exhilarating work of the sixties was soon forgotten and his reputation eclipsed.(1999) |
| Credit line | Given by Carolyn Cowan |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Vidal Sassoon was a hairdresser who rose to fame in the 1960s for creating the ‘bob’ haircut, popularised by the fashion designer Mary Quant. Here he is photographed at work, his deft movements accentuated by deliberate blurring. John Cowan was a leading fashion photographer during the 1960s. His photographs epitomised the playful, graphically dynamic style of commercial photography practised in London during the 1960s. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.2051-2004 |
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| Record created | February 9, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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