subscribe 0330 333 1113I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.ukI 18 April 2020 29
JASON BELL
WasCecilBeatonaninfluencefor
yourphotography?
‘Notspecifically,althoughI realisedlater
thathehadbeen.AsI wasstartingoutI
wasveryconsciousof theworkof
AngusMcBeanandDavidBaileyand
hewasdefinitelyaninfluenceonthem
so,in a roundaboutway,I wasmore
awareof hisworkthanI knew.Andvery
earlyonI enteredaVogueTalent
Contestandoneof hispictureswasan
inspirationfora self-portraitI hadtodo
forthatcompetition.I wasa finalistin
thecompetitionandendedupworking
forVogue, allof whichmakesmesmile
now,justat howconnectedthingsare.’Whatis youropiniononBeaton’s
overallinfluenceonfashion
photographyasanartform?
‘Hedefinitelyelevatedit andI thinkhis
interestin otherartforms,notablyballet,
operaandtheatre,informedhiswork
greatly.Thefactthathedesignedsets
andcostumesroundedouthisportrait
work,forsure.HetwicewontheOscar
forcostumedesign(forGigiandMyFair
Lady) andthatclearlybroughtanextra
somethingto hisfashionwork.Buthe
wasanincrediblyroundedphotographer,
a qualityI alwaysadmirein great
photographers’work.Whenhewasfired
byAmericanVoguejustbeforeWorld
WarII, overananti-Semiticscandal,he
returnedto theUKandbecamea
leadingwarphotographer,whichis not
onlyanextraordinaryleapfora portrait
andfashionphotographer,butwas the
rehabilitationof hiscareer.’Whatis youropinionofBeaton’s
workforVogueanddidit influence
yourapproachtoshootingfor
Vogueinanyway?
‘I wouldn’tsayit influencedmeasI try
veryhardtodomyownthingandnot
copyothersbut,of course,oneis always
awareof a canonof workbehindyou.In
a funnywayI wouldsaythatthe
influencethereis nottodoit, bywhich
I meantoconsciouslyavoidrepeating
whathasgonebefore.But,I thinkthe
inclusionof otherelementssuchas
propping,setdesignandcostumewasa
veryBeatonesquething, and that, to
me,is hislegacy.’WheredoesBeatonrankinthe
greatnamesofphotography?
‘I oftensayis thatrankingphotographers
is a badideaasit isn’ta competition.
The“business”encouragesa kindof
competitionbetweenphotographers,
whichis unhealthy,butBeaton’s
contributionwassignificantasanartist
who brought much to his photographs.’JasonBellis a British
portraitandfashion
photographerwhohas
workedforthelikesof
VanityFair, Britishand
AmericanVogue,GQ,
InterviewandHarper’s
Bazaarmagazines.
Hehasphotographed
celebritiesfromthe
worldsof sports,film
andmusic,aswellas
shootingstillsformany
postersforfilmsand
TVseries.In 2013he
shotthechristening
photographsof Prince
Georgeandin 2015he
becamethefirst-ever
Britishphotographerto
shoottheentireVanity
FairHollywoodPortfolio.
Youcanseehisworkat
http://www.jasonbell
photo.comLeft:EdwardLeBas
asMrsVulpyinThe
WatchedPotby
Cecil Beaton, 1924