MARTIN SCHOELLER (1968- )
Cate Blanchett, from the Close-Up series. Digital C-print, the image measuring 35x38 inches (89x96.5 cm.), the sheet 43x35 inches (109.2x88.9 cm.), flush mounted, with Schoeller's studio label with his signature in ink, and the typed title, date, dimensions, edition notation 4 of 7, and an inventory number on mount verso; framed. 2006

Provenance: Hasted Hunt Gallery, New York; to a Private Collection

After seeing Bernd and Hilla Becher’s Water Tower series in 1991, German photographer Martin Schoeller was inspired by the idea of photographing a large group of subjects in the exact same style.

His striking large-scale portraits involve getting up close and personal with his subjects, catching them at an honest moment, ideally when his or her guard is down. Through an approach almost clinical, measuring the subjects' eye height and adjusting the height of his 8 x 10 camera accordingly, to ensure uniformity, Schoeller photographed thousands of celebrities. All of his subjects were asked to remain expressionless, yet the details which the proximity of the camera offers, reveal a striking uniqueness and individuality to them all.