An Englishman in New York: Photographs by Jason BellOn the 04/03/2011, I went to see a small exhibition in the National Portrait Gallery showing a collection of some of Jason Bells photographs which make up his most recent book 'An Englishman in New York'. Jason Bell was born in London in 1969 and had his first camera by the age of 5. At Oxford University he studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics and it was here that he first decided that he wanted to become a portrait photographer. Since then Bell has been very successful. Jason Bell now lives in London and New York. He has done a number of publications for Vogue and Vanity Fair and Jason Bell specialises in Celebrity Portraits. Previously he has photographed the likes of Scarlett Johansson, Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Daniel Craig, David Beckham, Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth. He is also known for his film posters like, Billy Elliot, Bridget Jones 2 and Love Actually. Bell's work has been widely recognised and he has won the following awards.Overall, I thought that the exhibition was very good. Jason Bell had some very clever portraits of celebrities where he would put a twist on what they are known for, which made some of his photos quite witty. For example a fashion editor, Tabitha Simmons is pictured looking up a flight of stairs covered in many high heels. I also very much liked the style of the photographs as they were very arty and well thought-out. The only thing which I thought was not so good about the exhibition was the size. I would have loved to see more of Jason Bells work as I have become a huge fan. I have looked at many of his photographs on his website and would have enjoyed seeing some more of them in this collection Overall, I loved the exhibition and I would definetly recommend this exhibition. It was very informative and really inspired me to be more inventive with my portraits and to pay more attention to the background.

It is interesting that Anna Wintour has suddenly become a favorite of artists. American artist Jeffrey Harris' portrait "Anna Wintour Contemplates Raising Chickens" is perhaps the most interesting portrait of Ms. Wintour. It is fascinating that both Katz and Harris present her as the antithesis of her public persona -- is this a sign of these frugal times? This seems to be a good area for exploration.
M. Rebic

Exceptional spot with excellent exhibitions. Good restaurant too.