Annie Leibovitz: Vitreous painting on glass

Annie Leibovitz , Vitreous painting on glass, 8 x 10”

Annie Leibovitz was born on October 2, 1949, in Waterbury, Connecticut.

Her father was an officer in the Air Force and her childhood was spent on a

succession of military bases. She began her career as a photojournalist for

Rolling Stone in 1970, while she was still a student at the San Francisco Art

Institute. Her pictures have appeared regularly on magazine covers ever

since. Leibovitz’s large and distinguished body of work encompasses some

of the most well-known portraits of our time.

Leibovitz’s first major assignment was for a cover story on John

Lennon. She became Rolling Stone’s chief photographer in 1973, and by the

time she left the magazine, ten years later, she had shot one hundred and

forty-two covers and published photo essays on scores of stories, including

her memorable accounts of the resignation of Richard Nixon and of the 1975

Rolling Stones tour. In 1983, when she joined the staff of the revived Vanity

Fair, she was established as the foremost rock music photographer and an

astute documentarian of the social landscape. At Vanity Fair, and later at

Vogue, she developed a large body of work—portraits of actors, directors,

writers, musicians, athletes, and political and business figures, as well as

fashion photographs—that expanded her collective portrait of

contemporary life. In addition to her editorial work, she has created several

influential advertising campaigns, including her award-winning portraits

for American Express and the Gap.