George Holz
Encyclopedia
George Holz is an American photographer known for his fashion and celebrity portraiture.
, he was educated at the Art Center College of Design
in Pasadena, California
. While there, he apprenticed with Helmut Newton
. Newton encouraged Holz to go to Europe and Holz spent several years at the beginning of his career in Milan
, where his fashion editorials appeared in European publications such as Vogue Italia
, Madame Figaro, and French Elle
. He then returned to Los Angeles and focused on shooting album covers, including Madonna
's Borderline
.
, Interview Magazine and the New York Times, and began celebrity portraiture as well, publishing his images in InStyle, People
, Glamour
, Rolling Stone
, Entertainment Weekly
, GQ, and Vanity Fair
. Notably, Holz was one of the first major photographers to shoot Angelina Jolie
at the beginning of her career.
He also created numerous advertising campaigns, including ones for Elizabeth Arden
, DeBeers and Max Factor
, and won a Clio Award for his campaign for the International Gold Corporation. In 1990, he won a Grammy for his work on Suzanne Vega
's album Days of Open Hand
.
Museum in Tokyo.
Holz' art show "Original Sin" was exhibited at the Fahey/Klein Gallery in Los Angeles
, the Staley Wise Gallery in New York City
, the Gallery for Fine Photography in New Orleans, the John Cleary Gallery in Houston and the Robert Klein Gallery in Boston
, in 1997-98. and also traveled to New Orleans, Houston, Boston
, and San Francisco.
In 2009, he was the subject, along with Just Loomis and Mark Arbeit, of the exhibit "Three Boys from Pasadena: A Tribute to Helmut Newton." Conceived and curated by Newton's widow June Newton, the exhibit was devoted to Newton's three longtime assistants and collaborators, and explored Newton's influence on their later work. The show premiered at the Helmut Newton Foundation in Berlin
, and was exhibited in Paris
and New York
.
Holz' work is in the permanent collection of the International Museum of Photography and Film at the George Eastman House
in Rochester, New York
, and the Centro Cultural/Arte Contemporaneo in Mexico City
.
Early career
A native of Oak Ridge, TennesseeOak Ridge, Tennessee
Oak Ridge is a city in Anderson and Roane counties in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Tennessee, about west of Knoxville. Oak Ridge's population was 27,387 at the 2000 census...
, he was educated at the Art Center College of Design
Art Center College of Design
Art Center College of Design is a private college located in Pasadena, California, and was cited by BusinessWeek as one of the 60 best design schools in the world. The college’s industrial design program is consistently ranked number one by both DesignIntelligence and U.S...
in Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
. While there, he apprenticed with Helmut Newton
Helmut Newton
Helmut Newton, born Helmut Neustädter was a German-Australian photographer. He was a "prolific, widely imitated fashion photographer whose provocative, erotically charged black-and-white photos were a mainstay of Vogue and other publications."-Early life:Newton was born in Berlin, the son of Klara...
. Newton encouraged Holz to go to Europe and Holz spent several years at the beginning of his career in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, where his fashion editorials appeared in European publications such as Vogue Italia
Vogue Italia
Vogue Italia is the Italian edition of Vogue magazine. Owned by Condé Nast International, it is the least commercial of all editions of Vogue magazine and has been called the top fashion magazine in the world....
, Madame Figaro, and French Elle
Elle (magazine)
Elle is a worldwide magazine of French origin that focuses on women's fashion, beauty, health, and entertainment. Elle is also the world's largest fashion magazine. It was founded by Pierre Lazareff and his wife Hélène Gordon in 1945. The title, in French, means "she".-History:Elle was founded in...
. He then returned to Los Angeles and focused on shooting album covers, including Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
's Borderline
Borderline (song)
"Borderline" is a song by American pop singer Madonna from her self-titled debut album. It was released on February 15, 1984 as the fifth single from the album, by Sire Records. Written and composed by producer Reggie Lucas, the song received remix treatment from Madonna's then boyfriend John...
.
Current Work
In the mid-80s, Holz moved to New York where he continued to shoot fashion editorial for Harper's BazaarHarper's Bazaar
Harper’s Bazaar is an American fashion magazine, first published in 1867. Harper’s Bazaar is published by Hearst and, as a magazine, considers itself to be the style resource for “women who are the first to buy the best, from casual to couture.”...
, Interview Magazine and the New York Times, and began celebrity portraiture as well, publishing his images in InStyle, People
People
People is a plurality of human beings or other beings possessing enough qualities constituting personhood. It has two usages:* as the plural of person or a group of people People is a plurality of human beings or other beings possessing enough qualities constituting personhood. It has two usages:*...
, Glamour
Glamour (magazine)
Glamour is a women's magazine published by Condé Nast Publications. Founded in 1939 in the United States, it was originally called Glamour of Hollywood....
, Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, GQ, and Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
. Notably, Holz was one of the first major photographers to shoot Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie is an American actress. She has received an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards, and was named Hollywood's highest-paid actress by Forbes in 2009 and 2011. Jolie is noted for promoting humanitarian causes as a Goodwill Ambassador for the...
at the beginning of her career.
He also created numerous advertising campaigns, including ones for Elizabeth Arden
Elizabeth Arden
Florence Nightingale Graham , who went by the business name Elizabeth Arden, was a Canadian-American businesswoman who built a cosmetics empire in the United States. At the peak of her career, she was one of the wealthiest women in the world.-Biography:Arden was born in 1884 at Woodbridge, Ontario,...
, DeBeers and Max Factor
Max Factor
Max Factor & Company is a cosmetics company, founded during 1909 by Maksymilian Faktorowicz , Max Factor, a Polish-Jewish cosmetician. Max Factor & Company was a related, two-family, multi-generational international cosmetics company before its sale in 1973 for $500 million dollars...
, and won a Clio Award for his campaign for the International Gold Corporation. In 1990, he won a Grammy for his work on Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Nadine Vega is an American songwriter and singer known for her eclectic folk-inspired music.Two of Vega's songs reached the top 10 of various international chart listings: "Luka" and "Tom's Diner"...
's album Days of Open Hand
Days of Open Hand
Days of Open Hand is Suzanne Vega's third album, released in 1990 . This album won the Grammy Award for Best Recording Package in 1991.-Track listing:All songs written by Suzanne Vega except as noted.# "Tired of Sleeping" – 4:22...
.
Books
In 1997, Holz' "Original Sin," a monograph of nudes, was published. His collection of celebrity portraits, "Holz Hollywood" will be published by Damiani Editore in Spring 2012.Exhibits
George Holz has been the subject of solo shows at the University of Applied Arts, Vienna and LaforetLaforet
Department Store and Museum is a department store and museum located in the Harajuku commercial and entertainment district of the Shibuya neighborhood, in Tokyo, Japan, on one of Harajuku's most famous intersections....
Museum in Tokyo.
Holz' art show "Original Sin" was exhibited at the Fahey/Klein Gallery in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, the Staley Wise Gallery in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the Gallery for Fine Photography in New Orleans, the John Cleary Gallery in Houston and the Robert Klein Gallery in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, in 1997-98. and also traveled to New Orleans, Houston, Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, and San Francisco.
In 2009, he was the subject, along with Just Loomis and Mark Arbeit, of the exhibit "Three Boys from Pasadena: A Tribute to Helmut Newton." Conceived and curated by Newton's widow June Newton, the exhibit was devoted to Newton's three longtime assistants and collaborators, and explored Newton's influence on their later work. The show premiered at the Helmut Newton Foundation in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, and was exhibited in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Holz' work is in the permanent collection of the International Museum of Photography and Film at the George Eastman House
George Eastman House
The George Eastman House is the world's oldest museum dedicated to photography and one of the world's oldest film archives, opened to the public in 1949 in Rochester, New York, USA. World-renowned for its photograph and motion picture archives, the museum is also a leader in film preservation and...
in Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, and the Centro Cultural/Arte Contemporaneo in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
.