Cecil Beaton - Beneath the Glitter! *

As Beaton is my chosen artist for my 'Body shoot', I took out a documentary from the library to get an insight on the artist himself and what he really thought of the people he photographed.

As Beaton grew up he realised his background is not something he would have chosen for himself.

So, photography was his ticket to get out of middle-class respectability - that world into an interesting world. - He began taking photographs at home go his sisters, dressing them up in elaborate costumes and getting furniture out into the garden. Beaton learnt how to create dream like + theatrical environments around his sisters.

Importance of his photography was about where the sitter belonged, the props+lighting

His two sisters - Baba and Nancy 

Nancy Beaton 

- Although Beaton's mother was the daughter of a BlackSmith, Beaton would cast her as the society lady. He wanted to promote himself to the upper-classe's and get his photos published in society magazines like Takler.

Beaton was the favourite photographer of the royal family, his sumptuous portraits flattered his favourite subjects and behind the glitter, Beaton was uneasy about the world he portrayed so elegantly. 

- Mario Testino states how much Beaton has left us an enormous document of his time and how much he's learnt from it today by looking at his work.

- Beaton lived through Beauty in his photography - not just about beautiful features but the notion of high style, elegant living, the person and the environment. 

Beaton was happy to manipulate his subjects appearances into an ideal image of beauty.

He would do a lot of work on his contact prints - virtually would re-draw them

(chest area was lowered, nose were straight and moustaches were illuminated)

It was this, BEATON'S TOUCH which led to demands of his work in New York + Hollywood 

The reason why Beaton was noticed and demanded was due to the fact that his technique was all new in those days, especially to Vogue - as Beaton redefined the style of fashion photographs with his flamboyant use of background and light and revolutionised the way movie stars were photographed.

*Photo-shoot of Monroe

Mario Testino stated - ''Hardest thing to do is to photograph a person, is to get something that the person wants to give to you that won't give you that won't give to anyone else - Beaton captured something inside Monroe's images.

*Photo-shoot of Twiggy

Beaton stated ''This child, she's as light as air, we can't possibly photograph her on the ground, she's really like ariel. Have to punch her on furniture like Tinker bell.

With these photographs Beaton cristimized the 60's.