A 1992 photograph by Herb Ritts of Bruce Springsteen will be available at City Hearts’ 4th Annual Fresh Focus Photo Auction, November 1st at The Leica Gallery in West Hollywood. The photo, which shows the rock legend, guitar in hand, leaning against a dark canvas backdrop, was produced for a Rolling Stone magazine cover story. Proceeds from the auction benefit City Hearts, a 30-year-old non-profit organization that sponsors arts programs for Inner City youth.
After his photo session with Springsteen, Ritts recalled that the singer had arrived at the studio without entourage. “Bruce Springsteen just walked in carrying his gym bag with some t-shirts, belts and a pair of jeans, and sat down,” he said. “He was basically saying ‘I’m ready to go’. Bruce Springsteen is not somebody who puts out for a photograph. Instead, he wants a photographer to take him just as he presents himself.”
Ritts is no stranger to powerful iconic images. A Ritts photo is recognizable through its clean lines and strong forms. This graphic simplicity allows his images to be read and felt instantaneously. His work often challenges conventional notions of gender or race. Social history and fantasy are both captured and created by his memorable photographs of individuals in film, fashion, music, politics and society.
Famous musicians will be well represented in City Hearts’ 4th Annual Fresh Focus Photo Auction. Attendees will have an opportunity to bid on portraits of Frank Zappa (Greg Gorman), Duke Ellington (Leigh Wiener), Joni Mitchell (Henry Diltz), Grace Jones (Marc Vieira), Michael Jackson (Nicola Goode), Bob Marley (Kim Gottlieb-Walker) and Janis Joplin (Steve Banks).
Additionally, the event will feature work by Jeff Bridges, Doug Kirkland, George Hurrell, Eli Reed, Anthony Friedkin, Julia Dean, Michael Semaan, Helen K. Garber, Ruven Afanador, Jenny Okun and Brian Leatart, among many others. High-profile Members of the American Society of Cinematographers such as Richard Crudo, Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki, Russell Carpenter, David Darby, James Chressanthis, and Charlie Lieberman have donated still photography from their gallery showings.
About City Hearts
CITY HEARTS: For over 30 years, www.cityhearts.org programs have been that very special place for children to grow, experience the Arts, and learn skills that help motivate and enhance school involvement, community engagement, and a sense of caring and compassion for their local and the global communities while encouraging and inspiring children to reach their full potential. Founded in 1984 by Juvenile Court Public Defenders, Bob and Sherry Jason, City Hearts has provided unique training and experiences in the Arts to over 30,000 children since our inception. We believe that intervention and prevention are key elements to nurturing our children to become creative, compassionate and responsible young adults. City Hearts is Southern California’s pre-eminent Arts education outreach organization.
Fresh Focus: A New Shot at Life, City Hearts’ Photography program, encourages students to shoot with cameras – not guns. “We teach our students to evaluate their lives and community with a critical eye so that they may, in turn, educate others about their world and tell their ‘story behind the shot’,” Jason explains.
What: City Hearts: 4th Annual Fresh Focus Photo Auction
When: Sunday, November 1, 2015. 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Where: The Leica Gallery, 8783 Beverly Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90048
Tickets and information: www.cityhearts.org
Catering for the event is provided by Sam’s at the Beach.
