Photographic Gallery: Grace Jones Portraits by Chris Levine | reviews, news & interviews
Photographic Gallery: Grace Jones Portraits by Chris Levine
Photographic Gallery: Grace Jones Portraits by Chris Levine
A (literally) moving portrait of the ever-moving Grace Jones
One can hardly imagine the spiky dervish Grace Jones sitting still for a second, let alone remaining motionless long enough to have photographs (and plenty of them) taken for her portrait. Nevertheless, Chris Levine has managed to pin her down - in a manner of speaking.
The laser beam bouncing off Jones' crystal bowler was Levine's contribution to her recent show at the Albert Hall, and he has made it a motif for this one, Jones' impassive stare daring you to look on as light shoots towards you. Levine used this technique most famously with a portrait of the Queen, but it works especially well with Jones: for her, a machine of perpetual motion, only a moving portrait will do.
The most spectacular piece in the show is perhaps impossible to capture. By cutting an image of Jones into tiny vertical strips and feeding them into a flickering column of light, you see nothing when you stare directly at it, but as soon as you turn away, it appears in a flash in your peripheral vision, and disappears as quickly. Another perfect metaphor for Jones' heightened speed.
- Stillness at the Speed of Light is on at the Vinyl Factory, 51 Poland St, W1 until 15 May
Add comment