The Face of the Artist - Photographs by John Hedgecoe.

I recently revisited the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts to view “The Face of the Artist Photographs” by John Hedgecoe.

This is the first major exhibition of portraits by renowned photographer John Hedgecoe from the Sainsbury Centre’s collection of more than 400 works by the artist, acquired earlier this year.

John Hedgecoe (1932–2010) was at the forefront of portrait photography for more than 50 years. He took pictures of the leading figures in the worlds of art, literature, science and politics, from Agatha Christie to Winston Churchill. His portrait of the Queen taken in 1966 is still shown on British postage stamps.

Artists and their art will be brought together in this exhibition, which not only features work by Hedgecoe but also works from the Centre’s permanent collections. They include Francis Bacon with his Sketch for a Portrait of Lisa, Henry Moore with his Mother and Child, Lucie Rie with a selection of her ceramics, and Lynn Chadwick and Elisabeth Frink alongside their sculptures.

Also on display there are photographs of other well known artists, including Edward Bawden, Sir Peter Blake, Sir Terry Frost, Dame Barbara Hepworth, David Hockney, Eduardo Paolozzi, Sir Stanley Spencer and Graham Sutherland. The Face of the Artist includes portraits of designers including Sir Terence Conran and Mary Quant, as well as a small number of photographs of literary figures linked to UEA. An internationally acclaimed photographer, teacher and writer, John Hedgecoe studied photography at Guildford School of Art. Following a period as an aerial photographer in the RAF, he joined Queen magazine as staff photographer. In the mid-1960s he established the photography department at the Royal College of Art, and in 1975 he became the first Professor of Photography. His photographs have appeared in leading newspapers and magazine titles and can be found in major collections around the world.

I have picked out four of the images where I feel Hedgecoe has really captured the character of his subject well.

David Hockney in his bayswater studio, 1972

The bright blond hair and round black framed glasses are are very much a trademark of Hockney's "look". The facial expressions adds an element of fun to the pose . Hedgecoe has chosen to show no background elements so Hockney is your only focus. If it were not for the title of the photograph we would not have any clue as to where is was taken.

Dame Barbara Hepworth in her familiar fur coat, 1970

In this photograph Hepworth appears rather fierce looking and a rather formidable character particularly as the angle of the camera has her looking downward as though looming over the viewer. Many images taken of her have her unsmiling and show her working on  her sculptures or in her studio. Hedgecoe has again chosen to photograph with no particular background present so Hepworth is your sole focus.

Mary Quant at home in Chelsea, 1964

As her biography says, "Quant brought fun and fantasy to fashion in the 1960s" and this has definitely been mirrored in her portrait. From the very patterned carpet to the clothes she wears and the gymnast on the wall, having been photographed in her own home the environment really does represent Quant's style.

Francis Bacon, 1959

Here I feel that Bacon's wild painting style, shown behind him, is reflected in in his facial expression and particularly the look in his eyes.

From visiting this exhibition I have realised just how important capturing the personality of the person is when photographing their portrait.

Information taken from www.scva.org.uk