A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005

Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen
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This book has to be reviewed on two levels. First as a retrospective of Annie Leibovitz's photography from 1990 - 2005. On that level, the presentation is sumptuous and greatly enhances even the most mediocre photos. Few of these photos are as breathtaking as much of the work Leibowitz produced in earlier years. Most of the photos would, in fact, be indistinguishable from the work of thousands of others photographers were it not for their famous subjects, such as Al Pacino and Willie Nelson.

One troubling aspect of this collection for me was Leibowitz's seeming imitation of the styles of other photographers from the past such as Dianne Arbus and even Leni Riefenstahl, the infamous creator of the Nazi propaganda film "Triumph of the Will". Her portrait of the muscular torso of Sylvester Stallone is terribly reminiscent of Riefenstahl's style. Likewise her portraits of two Las Vegas dancers, resplendent in their bejeweled costumes, is compared with portraits of them as ordinary middle-aged women without makeup. Effective, but in many ways a reflection of Arbus's famous style. Portraits of Colin Powell and Norman Schwartzkopf look like those from virtually any high-end portrait studio.

The vitality and originality I used to associate with Annie Leibovitz is largely absent in this collection. On the whole, it is a disappointing portfolio.

Leibovitz perhaps intended this collection to be a different kind of statement, truly a statement about her "life". And it is, uncomfortably so perhaps.

There are many, many photographs of Susan Sontag, Leibvoitz's partner. Sontag is remembered (and reviled) by many for her strident anti-Americanism. It is difficult to reconcile these "loving" picures of Sontag taken by her lover with the Sontag who exorciated Americans very shortly after 9/11 and told them they deserved the disaster they got. Hard to put away feelings of animosity while seeing so many photos of her in Leibvoitz's book.

Leibovitz also includes many photos of her family. These are nothing more than snapshots for the most part, no matter how deftly they have been manipulated in the printing process. (I am really curious as to whether Leibovitz does her own printing. Much of the impact of many of her photos in this collection owes to their printing and the large presentation size, not their content or composition.)

In some ways, Leibovitz would have been better served by putting all of her family pictures into a separate section. As such it would have chronicled the physical decline of her parents while their children and grandchildren grew and would have been a powerful testament to familial love.

Leibovitz makes it clear that this is a deeply personal statement. She says "I cried for a month. I didn't realize until later how far the work on the book had taken me through the grieving proces. It's the closest thing to who I am that I've ever done." That sentiment may indeed account for the ordinariness of the photos in this book. Leibovitz is showing us her life - as the title implies - and not simply showcasing her best work. On the other hand, that presumes the admirer of Leibovitz's photography is interested in her personal life with Sontag and family and not just her photography. I'm sure some will enjoy this collection: I did not find it especially noteworthy.
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