Press Releases
San Clemente, CA – Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens is proud to announce its upcoming Open Casa exhibition Open Casa: Michael Childers. The exhibition, which is on view from August 25, 2017 through October 22, 2017, comprises two distinct exhibition spaces for legendary photography artist Michael Childers in order to explore the fullness of the artist’s commercial and personal body of work.
Among the works on view, one half of the gallery is devoted exclusively to portraits of Hollywood celebrities which were taken by Childers over his four decade career. These images are some of the most iconic that the public associates with the famous faces – for instance, who can imagine Paul Newman without recalling the black-and-white photograph of the handsome star in a leather moto jacket, or picture Andy Warhol without remembering him in any of the photographs of him horsing around in front of a mirror? Childers photographed these legends the way they wanted to be seen – and gave his subjects a grace that only he could elicit from them as they sat – or lounged or swaggered – in front of his lens.
The other half of the gallery is devoted to Childers’ more recent fine art pursuits, which are strikingly beautiful, technologically aided images of flora. Using his own secret digital development techniques, Childers modifies both the shape and color of his still life subjects, causing the abstracted creations to stretch, multiply, and seemingly float in limitless black pools.
“Michael Childers is famous for his iconic celebrity portraits, and for the rich relationships he has built with so many Hollywood stars behind the lens during his commercial career,” say Casa Romantica Executive Director and exhibition curator Berenika Schmitz. “His approach to photography, emphasizing the sensual and the unique through composition and lighting, has earned him recognition in the permanent collections of numerous museums from Los Angeles and Palm Springs to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
“Childers’ artistic reputation has been enhanced by the development of his exquisite, deeply personal body of work. Juxtaposing his organic subject matter of flora with an interest in innovative digital techniques, this aspect of his vision is what inspires Open Casa: Michael Childers.”
Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens is proud to present a carefully selected variety of historic and contemporary art exhibitions which bring international talent in San Clemente. From 2014-2017, the institution put on a quarterly exhibition of works from the E. Gene Crain Collection, one of the most important collections of California watercolors with works from Phil Dike, Rex Brandt, and Millard Sheets, among others. Its most recent contemporary exhibition, Casa Coastal: Rebecca Louise Law, received national press for its immersive beauty and ingenuity. Casa Romantica was named Outstanding Arts Organization of 2017 by Arts Orange County (ArtsOC).
About Michael Childers
Michael Childers (b. North Carolina) is a renowned American photographer whose iconic portraits of celebrities and film, dance, and theater artists have been seen by millions of people over the past four decades on hundreds of magazine covers and in gallery and museum exhibitions worldwide.
Childers has photographed more than 200 magazine covers, including GQ, New York, TV Guide, Esquire, Los Angeles, Elle, Paris Match, Life, London Sunday Times Magazine, and both English and Italian Vogue. He has created more than 150 album covers and film posters for major motion picture studios and worked as a photographer on films such as Grease, The Year of Living Dangerously, and The Terminator.
Childer’s career began as a photographer for theater productions, earning the distinction of being the only American photographer invited to photograph at Sir Laurence Olivier’s National Theatre in London. He went on to become a founding photographer for Andy Warhol’s Interview and After Dark magazines. For Dance magazine, he produced covers featuring the Joffrey Ballet, the Royal Ballet, and the Alvin Ailey Company. He also co-authored the book Bejart: The World of Dance.
In 2003, Palm Springs Art Museum presented a forty-year retrospective of Childers’ work. He has received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Hollywood Photography at the Temecula Film Festival, the Provincetown Film Festival, and the Palm Springs International Film Festival, as well as the Crystal Lens Award from Palm Springs Modernism Week. Childers was awarded a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Fame for his work in photography, film and humanitarian causes.
His work is in the permanent collections of numerous local, national, and international museum institutions worldwide.
Opening reception and general admission
The opening reception of Open Casa: Michael Childers will be held on Friday, August 25, 2017 from 6-8pm, and is free to attend. Complimentary wine and cheese will be served. The exhibition will be on view to the public daily during Casa Romantica public hours through Sunday, October 22, 2017. Access to the exhibition is included with the $5 general admission fee to Casa Romantica. Casa Romantica will be closed on all Mondays and national holidays; please call in advance of your visit. General information can be found online at www.CasaRomantica.org, by calling (949) 498-2139, or by visiting the institution at 415 Avenida Granada in San Clemente.
