Timothy Greenfield-Sanders: XXX: 30 Porn Star Portraits

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.