A 90-second shoot with Stephen Fry in 1989 launched the career of Andy Gotts, photographer to the stars. Through grift and graft and raw, honed talent, Gotts has become one of the most in-demand celebrity photographers working the circuits of Hollywood, British media, and the music industry.
Gotts's dramatic black-and-while style turns faces into artworks of shadow and light, while his colour portraits capture his subjects' ineffable humanity. For the first time Andy Gotts reveals the incredible depth of his archive, showing his most famous portraits and many rare images alongside. The book focuses on Andy's contact sheets, which reveal the process behind capturing the perfect image. Accompanying texts from Andy shed light on his craft and delve into the stories behind these captivating photographs.
The book also contains personal testaments from a cross-section of the celebrities who Gotts has worked with: Alan Cumming, Gene Simmons, Ian McKellen, Jeff Bridges, Kylie Minogue, Michael Caine, Peter Capaldi and Simon Pegg. Andy Gotts gathers the best and boldest portraits from Gotts's 30-year career: Adam Ant, Al Pacino, Alan Cumming, Alan Rickman, Alice Cooper, Annie Lennox, Anthony Hopkins, Boy George, Brad Pitt, Byran Ferry, Caine Boarder, Cate Blanchett, Charlize Theron, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Chris Martin, Christopher Lee, Christopher Walken, Claudia Schiffer, Clint Eastwood, Colin Firth, Daniel Craig, Dolly Parton, Eddie Redmayne, Elle Macpherson, Elton John, Elvis Costello, Emma Thompson, Erin O'Connor, Gene Simmons, George Clooney, Gillian Anderson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Halle Berry, Harrison Ford, Heath Ledger, Matt Damon, Hugh Grant, Jeff Bridges, Jeremy Irons, John Hurt, Johnny Depp, Jose Carreras, Judi Dench, Julia Roberts, Julian Assange, Julie Christie, Kate Moss, Kate Winslet, Kevin Kline, Kirk Douglas, Kylie Minogue, Lauren Bacall, Lester Piggott, Mads Mikkelsen, Malcolm McDowell, Mark Hamill, Matthew Broderick, Meryl Streep, Michael Lansdale, Mickey Rourke, the Monty Python members, Morgan Freeman, Naomi Campbell, Nicole Kidman, Oliva de Havilland, Olivia Colman, Orlando Bloom, Ozzy Osbourne, Paul Newman, Pele, Penelope Cruz, Pierce Brosnan, Quentin Crisp, Ralph Fiennes, Richard Dreyfuss, Richard Harris, Rita Ora, Robert De Niro, Rod Steiger, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Sharon Stone, Sidney Poitier, Steven Tyler, Sting and Susan Sarandon.
About the Author
Andy Gotts MBE MA is based in London, England and New York, USA. His work has appeared in many international magazines, including French, Italian and Australian Vogue, ELLE, Style, Vanity Fair, GQ, Empire, FHM, Total Film, Entertainment Weekly and many more. A selection of his photographs are held in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery, and Gotts was appointed MBE in the Queen's New Years Honours List in 2012.
Industry Reviews
"A new book by UK 'photographer to the stars' Andy Gotts shows off a wild collection of contact sheets featuring celebrities in seemingly unfiltered, unguarded moments - often with shockingly elastic faces and in body-baring poses." - Eric Hegedus, New York Post
"The star-studded images are one thing, but their candid context is what makes them special." - Joy Ling, Esquire Singapore
"As his new book of portraits, The Photograph, shows, many famous names have stepped in front of his camera, captured quickly in his distinctive, clean style, with the images featuring in magazines and newspapers, galleries and exhibitions, and even earning him an MBE from Queen Elizabeth II for services of his photography." - Chris Anderson, Air Magazine
"A new book, Andy Gotts The Photograph, is a compilation of celebrity photographs that bring out their personality and their humour. It does so by showing us the contact sheets from which the final image was chosen." - Teddy Jamieson, The Herald
"Is there any celebrity that lensman Gotts hasn't captured on camera? Pretty much anyone you can think of is here including fashion models (Claudia Schiffer, Elle MacPherson), handsome hunks (Harrison Ford, Matt Damon), Oscar winners (Meryl Streep, Al Pacino) and Hollywood legends (Paul Newman, Kirk Douglas)." - Daniel Bubbeo, Newsday
"Though you may not be familiar with his name, a compelling new compendium of his work, Andy Gotts: The Photograph, published by ACC Art Books, makes clear that you should get acquainted." - Maxim Magazine
"The book, The Photograph, is designed to capture this working process, showing contact sheets which reveal the progress of the sessions." - Arts & Collections
