Annie Leibovitz is arguably the most famous woman you’ve never heard of.
She’s the one who, in New York in 1980, convinced John Lennon to pose nude lying next to Yoko Ono, an image that would later be used on the cover of Rolling Stone and would be considered one of the most famous magazine covers of all time. (Lennon was shot and killed four hours after posing for the photo.)
She convinced a very pregnant Demi Moore to pose nude for the cover of Vanity Fair, causing a backlash, but also establishing Moore as a Hollywood force.
She’s photographed dozens of presidents, politicians and foreign leaders, and for years in Hollywood, it’s been the truest mark of a success for a young actor to be photographed by her.
Leibovitz’s countless iconic images have graced the covers of established magazines, and now a large portion of those photos are on display at the San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park.
“I don’t feel I’m a photographer,” Leibovitz said during a guided tour of the San Diego show Feb. 15. “I feel like an artist using photographs.”
More than 200 images are on the walls, including the Moore cover, a regal Nicole Kidman bathed in stage lights and Brad Pitt in a low-rate Vegas motel. There are also photos of Bill Clinton, Colin Powell, William S. Burroughs and Leonardo DiCaprio.
But not all the photos are of such a high-profile nature. Sprinkled in among the famous faces are more personal ones, including Leibovitz’s longtime partner, Susan Sontag, who died of cancer in 2004, and her three children.
Leibovitz’s relationship with Sontag and her death had a profound effect on Leibovitz. Sontag was her best friend, partner and, depending on whom you ask, the photographer’s mentor.
“[Susan] told me that I was good, but that I could be better,” Leibovitz told a crowd of nearly 50 at opening. “And that was the nature of our relationship.”
The exhibit was prompted by Leibovitz’s recent book, “A Photographer’s Life,” in which a majority of the images appear. They cover only work from the last 15 years, though her portfolio stretches back twice that long.
Leibovitz first picked up a camera during her studies at the San Francisco Art Institute. She was discovered in the late ’60s by Rolling Stone editor Jann S. Wenner during the magazine’s infancy, and was asked to photograph musicians in and around San Francisco. Her time documenting The Beatles and The Rolling Stones earned her lifelong friendships with both bands, and a place among rock ‘n’ roll’s elite. The experience also set in motion an unparalleled career as a celebrity photographer.
Today, Leibovitz is as active as ever, shooting promotional campaigns for Disney and covers for Vanity Fair. She remains one of Hollywood’s most celebrated and respected artists, proof that it’s not Leibovitz’s name recognition that has afforded her longevity. It’s her ability to make celebrities look and feel good.
Thirty years in Hollywood, and still going strong “” she must be doing something right.
“Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer’s Life, 1990-2005” runs through April 22 at the San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park. For more information and admission prices, visit www.sdmart.org.Leibovitz receives star treatment at San Diego Museum of Art