![]() |
Washington Blade - January 3, 2003
Rhonda Smith
"Part of his greatness was his willingness to use his prominence in the world of art and fashion to leverage support from others," said Scott Campbell, vice president of institutional development for the American Foundation for AIDS Research in New York City.
Ritts, whose photos of famous people and music videos garnered worldwide recognition, died in Los Angeles Dec. 26 from pneumonia. He was 50.
Scott Seomin, entertainment and media director in Los Angeles for the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, said the openly gay celebrity and fashion photographer once offered AIDS Project Los Angeles the opportunity to auction off "A Photo Session with Herb Ritts."
"In Los Angeles, it takes a lot to make people awestruck," Seomin said. "But Herb Ritts did that."
Ritts' photos of nude males and homoerotic imagery gained a following among gay men and other fans. He also shot landscapes. But the Los Angeles native made his mark in mainstream circles with his photographs for Vogue, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone and other magazines of celebrities such as Richard Gere, Madonna, Elizabeth Taylor, Dizzy Gillespie, Cindy Crawford, k.d. lang, Sandra Bernhard, Aretha Franklin, and Mick Jagger.
"Clearly, he was an artist that was extremely talented, world-renowned and at the top of his profession," said David Smith, a Los Angeles native and the Human Rights Campaign's communications director and senior strategist.
"Having an openly gay person of his stature certainly does help people better understand who gay people are."
The Dalai Lama, Ronald Reagan, and Alabama politician George Wallace also posed for Ritts. Photos he recently took of Kofi Annan, the United Nations secretary general, and athlete Marion Jones are slated to appear in Vogue magazine in February.
"Fifty or 60 years from now, if someone sees a portrait of Madonna, they really won't care that it was Madonna or they won't know who the hell she was," Ritts once said. "But it'll hold up as a portrait of an interesting woman you want to know. You feel her. There's something coming from it."
Born in Los Angeles in 1952, Ritts grew up in the tony Brentwood neighborhood thanks to his family's successful furniture business, the Ritts Co.
After earning a degree from Bard College in New York in economics, with a minor in art history, Ritts went to work for the family business as a sales representative. Along the way, he picked up a camera and began shooting photographs as a hobby.
Ritts' friendship with Richard Gere in the 1970s, as the story goes, led to a drive in the desert, a flat tire and an impromptu photo session at a service station.
The result? A photo of a seductive Gere in a white vest, his arms over his head and a cigarette dangling from his mouth. A year later, Gere was a movie star and Ritts' photos were being used as publicity shots.
This launched Ritts' career shooting celebrities and heads of state for top fashion and culture magazines, which also included Interview, Harper's Bazaar, and Elle.
In addition to taking pictures, Ritts made television commercials, directed music videos, and shot pictures for album covers. He won two MTV Video Music Awards for his work in 1991 with Janet Jackson ("Love Will Never Do") and Chris Isaak ("Wicked Game").
His work also was published in various books, including "Duo," a sequence of pictures of a gay couple, one a former Mr. Universe.
Ritts is survived by his partner, Erik Hyman of Los Angeles, his mother, Shirley Ritts; a sister, Christy Thrasher; and a brother, Rory, all of Los Angeles.
Associated Press contributed to this report
030103
WB030102
Copyright © 2003 - The Washington Blade. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of The Washington Blade content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of the Blade. The Washington Blade shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. The Washington Blade.
AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, Elton John AIDS Foundation, iMetrikus, Inc., John M. Lloyd Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2003. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2003. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .