Captured in time by the inspired camera of mid-century NYC photographer Roy Schatt. This original photograph is quite large and stunning in person. This image by Schatt would go on to be used in 1956 for the iconic dust jacket of the first full length book on the actor… James Dean: A Biography. By Dean’s friend William Bast. Vintage photographs by Schatt with Dean as subject are extremely rare. This one is stunning in the deep focus detail of Dean as subject. In our years of collecting we have not seen another of this image, contemporary with Dean’s lifetime, come to market. Sure to be a fine cornerstone piece for a Dean collection. 10016 MU 3-9491 / Photographer. Unmounted; overall paper size of 17 x 13-1/2 inches. 1/2 inch paper loss at top right edge in the margin, outside the image area; very slight crimping in a few spots (not in the field of Dean’s image). Roy Schatt was a dedicated photographer for 60 years, who captured legendary individuals and historic moments. Utilizing his’method’ approach and use of only natural light, Roy was committed to a pure form of photography. He developed all his photographs in his 33rd Street darkroom, with a focus on the balance of light. He had skilled and experienced understanding of the camera as a means to achieve much more than’documentation’, but a meaningful art form translated into a photograph. His study of art, theatre, writing and history were the building blocks of his own photographic art. Schatt developed a remarkable friendship with actor James Dean….. The subject of this original photograph. As a fellow actor and with a great interest in photography, Dean formed a special bond with Schatt and wanted to learn art from him. About the beginning of their relationship, Schatt states He was a squinty schlump of a person all bent over. Then Dean suddenly got up and this ugly person became a dream, an Adonis who started to dance around the room. It was a transition I couldn’t believe. During our first meeting Jim asked me if I would shoot him, not as a regular session, but to document his activities. It soon developed that he wanted to shoot me as well, so we began classes. During the course of their yearlong friendship cut short by Dean’s tragic death on Sept. 30 1955, Schatt captured the iconic Torn Sweater series portraits, as well as other images of Dean like this haunting portrait as well as personal moments playing the bongos at a party, pretending to steal candy from a newsstand or practicing the art of photography using Schatt and actor friends as his subject. During the 50s, Roy Schatt lived in artistic epicenter Greenwich Village and befriended many other creative personalities. Schatt’s forte in portrait photography and his sensibility as an actor allowed him to capture the most genuine, even vulnerable, emotions of his subjects. Famed director Lee Strasberg recognized his caliber as a photographer and named Schatt the Official Photographer of the Actor’s Studio. The item “JAMES DEAN Iconic 1954 Vintage Silver Gelatin OVERSIZED PORTRAIT ROY SCHATT” is in sale since Saturday, December 26, 2020. This item is in the category “Entertainment Memorabilia\Movie Memorabilia\Photographs\1950-59\Black & White”. The seller is “colinjrt” and is located in Belleville, Illinois. This item can be shipped to United States.
- Size: 17″ x 13 1/2″
- Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
- Style: Black & White
- Original/Reproduction: Original
- Object Type: Photograph
- Industry: Movies