Incollect Magazine - Issue 11

Incollect Magazine 77 Mark Shaw Liz O’Brien Gallery Mark Shaw (1921–1969) photographed the rich, famous and interesting, giving his pictures instant appeal. But they are also of formal interest as compositions, revealing much about his subjects. He started out as a photojournalist and haute couture fashion photographer, honing his eye for style, taste, and beauty while working for fashion and culture magazines including Harper’s Bazaar, Mademoiselle, McCall’s, Ladies Home Journal, Vanity Fair and LIFE. Among his most memorable images are candid photographs of Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Pablo Picasso, and Yves St. Laurent, Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn. Assigned by LIFE magazine to photograph Jacqueline Kennedy during JFK’s presidential campaign, he became their de facto family photographer, visiting them at the White House and Hyannisport to produce both official and casual photographs. These images are his most famous work, and a collection of them was published in his book, The John F. Kennedys: A Family Album, in 1964. He worked in both color and black and white, relying on unusual camera angles or poses and strong color contrasts for dramatic effect. “It’s this intimacy that really distinguishes his work, whether it’s inside the Kennedy White House, aboard a superyacht, or on the set of a Hollywood movie with Audrey Hepburn,” says Liz O’Brien, who represents the Mark Shaw estate and enjoys having his work in her gallery. Shaw benefited from unprecedented access to the rich and famous for his subject matter, but he also brought a sensitive and thoughtful eye to everything he did. His photographs don’t judge or flatter but rather seek to reveal some kind of truth to his subjects. Kennedys, Jackie in Straw Hat and Colorful Skirt, with John and Caroline, Hyannis Patio. © Mark Shaw / mptvimages.com / Courtesy Liz O’Brien. Audrey Hepburn and William Holden on Set of Sabrina, Run Lines, 1953. © Mark Shaw / mptvimages.com / Courtesy Liz O’Brien.