Fountain Gallery Presents "Scavullo Portfolio”

An exhibition of the portfolios Hollywood Women and Song
by Francesco Scavullo

January 12 - February 28, 2007
Opening Reception: January 12, 6 - 8 p.m.

New York, NY -- January 12, 2007 -- Fountain Gallery announces the opening of "Scavullo Portfolio" on January 12, 2007, running through February 28. Curated by Sean M. Byrnes, Francesco Scavullo's collaborator and life partner for more than 30 years, the show features limited edition photographs from the portfolios Hollywood Women and Song. Also on view will be a selection of Scavullo’s silkscreen studies of flowers.

A not-for-profit cooperative located at 702 Ninth Avenue at 48th Street in Manhattan, Fountain Gallery represents nearly 40 artists living and working with mental illness. Throughout the many years of his celebrated career until his death in 2004 at age 82, Scavullo continued working even as he experienced intense emotional highs and lows, with episodes labeled "nervous breakdowns" until later in his life, when he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, referred to at the time as manic depression. In retrospect, he believed that the intense energy of his manic episodes fueled his creativity, while the discipline of work also enabled him to weather the low periods.

"We are honored to partner with the Scavullo Foundation in presenting this extraordinary exhibition of iconic images familiar to so many," said Jason Bowman, coordinating director of Fountain Gallery. "Francesco Scavullo's life and work are a testament to the contributions to be made by artists living with mental illness, in keeping with Fountain Gallery's mission of breaking the stigma surrounding serious and persistent mental illness by showcasing work by artists living with it.”

Francesco Scavullo captured on film some of the most famous personalities of the 20th century. As one of the world’s most recognized fashion photographers, his lighting technique and impeccable artistry created evocative portraits that defined an era. Universally known as "Scavullo", he immortalized celebrities in every field of endeavor, and among this eclectic mix were emerging and established stars in fashion, beauty, music, film, theatre and sports. He worked for almost every major woman’s magazine, from Vogue to Harper's Bazaar, and his photographs also graced the covers of Interview, Rolling Stone, Life, Time, Newsweek and People. He created the "Cosmo Girl" and for more than 30 years shot every cover of Cosmopolitan.

In 2003, Scavullo embarked on a special publishing project: He wanted his most celebrated images to be produced in a series of portfolios. The first portfolio, titled Song, features (in alphabetical order): Cher, Deborah Harry, Lena Horne, Mick Jagger, Janis Joplin, Luciano Pavarotti, Bernadette Peters, Diana Ross, Ravi Shankar and Sting. In 2006, the second portfolio was published: Hollywood Womenfeatures the legendary actresses (in alphabetical order): Lauren Bacall, Glenn Close, Faye Dunaway, Sophia Loren, Bette Midler, Liza Minnelli, Rene Russo, Susan Sarandon, Barbra Streisand and Elizabeth Taylor.

Scavullo’s photographs are part of the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA, the Guggenheim and the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth, Texas.

Also at Fountain Gallery: “Portrait Box” - Photographs by Jeffrey Confino

Concurrent with the Scavullo exhibition in its main gallery, Fountain Gallery also presents in its rear gallery space an exhibit of portraits by Jeffrey Confino, who until his death in 2002 was a member of Fountain House, Fountain Gallery's parent organization. Never seen without his camera, Confino photographed dozens of members of the Fountain House community, and this posthumous exhibit is a tribute to his dedication in portraying the humanity of those who sat for him.