Champagne and Chiaroscuro: The Gilded Lens of Jonathan Becker
Photo Book Review: Lost Time by Jonathan Becker
Jonathan Becker’s Lost Time is beautifully crafted 328-page book, featuring 225 color illustrations. It is a testament to Becker’s talent and enduring influence in the world of photography. The luxurious cloth-bound edition is complete with tipped-on photographs on both the front and back covers. It’s a lavish coffee-table book pretending to be an art book, pretending to be a retrospective. Perhaps deservedly so.
Lost Time is a captivating visual journey through the lens of a master photographer. Becker’s keen eye captures the essence of his subjects, whether they are reveling in high society or simply going about their “daily lives”. His photographs validate a deep understanding of human nature and the environments that shape it, and they offer a glimpse into the lives of celebrities; the extraordinary (and some of the ordinary), the iconic, and the fallible. Publicly known actions and time are not always kind – Harvey Weinstein, Rupert Murdoch, Matt Lauer, Gordon Ramsay, Donald and Ivana and Melania Trump are all featured celebrities seen in Lost Time. Draw any conclusions you wish.
The book delves into Becker’s illustrious career, from his early days with the legendary Brassaï to his iconic work for Condé Nast. Through his lens, we witness the cultural zeitgeist of the 20th and 21st centuries, from the bohemian allure of Andy Warhol’s Factory to the glamorous gatherings of the international elite. Becker’s ability to blend portrait photography with a touch of artistic flair is evident in almost every image. Lost Time is a testament to Becker’s enduring talent and his profound impact on the world of photography.
Among many formal and informal shots, we see a series of portraits taken “behind the scenes” at Elaine’s Kitchen in New York City circa 1976. People pose for Becker’s camera; celebrities after several drinks, interesting people, the “15 minutes of fame” people, and folks who end up being internationally known legends. But I can’t help but feel for the kitchen staff: the dishwashers, and the people waiting to work, presumably late into the night (some seen in the background of some of these images)… and now these snap-happy schlubs in their workspace are in the way. Those dishes aren’t going to wash themselves.
The book is a running list and face book of the ‘Who’s Who’ of the late 20th century, seemingly caught in “private moments” such as Diane von Furstenberg at home, barefoot in the kitchen and cradling the receiver of a phone while glancing at the camera, her hair “just so”, bracelets and earrings catching the light we can see reflected in the window – a studio strobe light and umbrella stand… This was no accident. But we, the viewers, are led to believe it is.
In Lost Time, black-and-white photographs from the 1970s and 1980s slowly transition into color photos taken in the 1990s. Each image worthy of being, or was, a Vanity Fair cover, or a glamour shot for lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. Even Melania Trump appears in a 2005 portrait in her “home” – an opulent mess overlooking a picture postcard New York City skyline. Donald gets his own portrait – Narcissus in a dark business suit, bathed in golden light amidst palatial furnishings. I’m reminded of the palace at Versailles, and how Louis XIV created a celebration of himself, a sun god in the flesh… but I digress.
Becker had a gift for capturing stardom, celebrity, the ‘gravitas’ of a person of wealth, status, or influence. Becker is a ‘Bill Cunningham’ who didn’t arrive by bicycle; he was driven to the location and served champagne while Mick Jagger, the Prince of Wales, or Nicole Kidman finishes chatting with each other – while an assistant sets the lights and loads the film into Becker’s camera. Cunningham appears in Lost Time – albeit blurry and upstaged by Andy Warhol walking and gesturing and trying to look like he’s not aware of all the cameras trained on him. Meanwhile, Bill stands politely smiling at Becker’s camera. Click.
The images are printed throughout the book at sizes that captured your attention. A singular image no less than 8 inches in any direction is printed on each page. I felt as if I was pitching through a collection of photographs – not printed photos or magazine pages. Kudos to feeding for crafting such an elegant book. It contains more than 200 images from the past 50 years. Lost Time reveals the enduring appeal, ingenuity, and insight behind Becker’s photographs. This luxurious volume highlights Becker’s exceptional ability in linking fine-art photography and the notion of the photographer as a social observer, evident in his portraits of prominent figures in surprising and diverse settings.
The book innocently and unguardedly, begins and ends with black-and-white photos of a peacock – white, fanned feathers on full display. These photos on the endpages could understandably be overlooked, given the eye-candy on display within. I believe this witty nod to the peacock-as-metaphor holds more truth than almost all the people captured by Becker’s lens. His body of work presents a stage-play of sorts, a grand presentation for others with the sole intent on attraction for pride, vanity and arrogance. What better fit for a tome that elevates excessive self-esteem. Of course, this fantasy is not reality. We are supposed to feel like we are just like them. Projection. Don’t let the façade for you though, this is all make-believe. Photography has always been a medium of artifice, concealing as much as it reveals reality.
Lost Time by Jonathan Becker
Edited by Mark Holborn, texts by Jonathan Becker and Mark Holborn
October 2024
328 pp
225 color illustrations
11 3/8 × 9 7/8 in
Published by Phaidon
Jonathan Becker began his professional career as a portrait photographer for Interview and Town & Country and Vanity Fair, and in 1990 he became a Contributing Photographer at Vanity Fair. He is the author of several books, and has been an influential force in photography for decades. Visit his website at www.jonathanbecker.com
Originally published December 7th, 2024 by Cary Benbow in F-Stop Magazine
Looks stunning. Thanks for the review.