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Draft:Fergus Greer

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Fergus Greer
London, 2012
Born (1961-05-08) 8 May 1961 (age 63)
Aldershot, England
Education
Occupation(s)Photographer, Psychotherapist
Years active1987–present
SpouseKatya Maruska Irma (nee Caminda) m.1996-div.2010
ChildrenLudmilla, Balthazar

Fergus James MacGregor Greer (born 8 May 1961) is a British/Irish internationally renowned photographer and psychotherapist, known for his strong visual and emotional resonance in his large body of work.[1] He served as an officer in the Irish Guards, before leaving to pursue a successful career in photography , and later, in psychotherapy. His work has been featured in numerous publications and exhibits, including Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, GQ, Newsweek, The New York Times Magazine , The Sunday Times Magazine,[2] and held in many public and private collections, including 65 works at the National Portrait Gallery, London.[3]


Early life and education

[edit]

Greer was born in Aldershot, Hampshire, to David and Sheila Greer, he has a sister Caroline. He showed creative ability from a young age. Greer attended Barfield Prep School in Farnham before his family relocated to Kilmacanogue, Wicklow , Eire in 1970, where he attended Brook House prep school in Bray, Co. Wicklow, and later, St Columba's College, Dublin. In 1976, his family moved to Wonersh, Surrey, UK, and he attended Cranleigh School. After leaving Cranleigh he went on to study at St Martin's School of Art, London, following by a BA Hons degree in Sculpture. He then attended Royal Military Academy Sandhurst passing out in 1983. [4]

Career

[edit]

The Irish Guards

After Sandhurst, Greer was commissioned as an officer into the Irish Guards, he served for 4 years.[4] He was following in his family's footsteps; his father, uncle, grandfather, and three other family members had all served in Irish regiments.

Photography

After leaving the army, Greer began his career in photography as a photographic studio assistant at Holborn Studios, which led to him becoming Terence Donovan's’s full-time studio manager and photographic assistant and then assisting Richard Avedon,[5] after which he became a freelance photographer based in London and quickly established himself as a leading international photographer, during this time he was introduced to the performance artist and designer Leigh Bowery[5][6] he established a close 6 year working collaboration[7] culminating in the book Leigh Bowery’s “Looks” published by Thames and Hudson.[8] As a freelance photographer, Greer worked for a variety of magazines and regularly shot covers for The Sunday Times Magazine[9] Vanity Fair, Fortune, The New York Times Magazine, and The New Yorker. Greer relocated to Los Angeles in 1997 to expand his international reputation and career as a portrait photographer. Known for his ability to capture the essence of his subjects in challenging circumstances, he gained recognition for his striking images. His portfolio includes portraits of heads of state, royalty, celebrities, and notable figures. Those in the National Portrait Gallery Collection include:-

Benazir Bhuto, Imran Khan, President Gerald and Betty Ford,Michael Caine, Michael Dell, Elon Musk, Robbie Williams, Warren Buffett, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, David Filo, Dustin Hoffman, ,Ray Charles, Barry White, Foo Fighters, Snoop Dogg, MC Ren, Jimmy Iovine, Elmore Leonard, Hugh Hefner, Hugh Grant,Larry Flynt, Imelda Marcos, , Mike Jackson, John Galliano, Hubert de Givenchy, and artist David Hockney, Tom Wesselmann, Damien Hirst, Peter Blake, Brian Cox, Richard Serra, Doug Aitkin, and Kiki Smith. He has also collaborated with artists such as Peter Blake, Shepard Fairey, and Thom Gunn.

  • In 1999, Greer was appointed as The Official War Artist for The Kosovo Campaign and was embedded with his old regiment, The Irish Guards. He published his work in 2001 in the book, Kosovo,[4] with a foreword by General Mike Jackson, who had led the campaign. One of the photographs from the book is now in the collection at the National Portrait Gallery, London.[12]
  • 2006 NPG Exhibition "“I love looking at photography and when I look at portraits I want to see something of the essence of the person. Those that really stood out for me were Michael Caine and Ray Winstone."[13]

[14][15]

  • In December 2006 Clarence House commissioned Greer to return to Sandhurst to take a photograph Prince William and Prince Harry. The informal double portrait was taken in the Commandant's House and was to supposed to be used at the Concert for Diana in 2007, however in was never published. The photograph was seen publicly for the first time in 2011 at an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, London.[16] Vanity Fair have suggested that this portrait was the start of "a new dress-code option: royal casual."[17] The Daily Mail commented that the Princes had been photographed together before but had "rarely seemed so at ease.[18]
  • Greer is one of the few people to have been asked and exhibited two solo shows at The National Portrait Gallery, which holds 65 of his portraits in the National collection.
  • One of Greer's images of Leigh Bowery was listed in The Guardian in 2023 as one of the 40 most outrageous Photographs to have changed fashion.[19]
  • 2019 - the Michael Hoppen Gallery in London hosted the exhibition "Fergus Greer, Leigh Bowery, Looks". One review of the exhibition says "Half a century later, London feels more grey and colorless than ever. We’ll never see Bowery again in the flesh: his true medium. But Greer’s vital document lives on: a blueprint for a new generation of club kids and freaks tracing their evolution."[20][21]
  • Fergus Greer is a British photographer based in LA, who works for the world’s top publications and commercial clients, as well as on his own projects, always aiming to capture the essence of whomever and whatever appears before his lens. He is particularly known for his work in portraiture. His list of sitters encompasses famous artists, actors, musicians, writers, politicians, businesspeople, academics, and athletes, including an early and enduring collaboration with Leigh Bowery.[22]
  • Fergus Greer is a master at “playing” with light.[23]
  • Fergus Greer produced the most remarkable portfolio of work with the iconoclastic designer and performance artist, Leigh Bowery [5]
  • Mark Feehily was one of the lead singers in Westlife - What has been your biggest luxury spend? "I am very into an incredible performance artist and designer called Leigh Bowery, and I love the Fergus Greer photos I have of him."[24]
  • Fergus Greer "The leading international lensman" The Times 2006[25]

Psychotherapy

He also, as a continuation of his interest in The human condition and having seen the effects of trauma from his time in the Irish Guards, and also having first gone into Therapy while living in LA, trained as an Adult Psychotherapist at The Westminster Pastoral Foundation. For 5 years , after graduating, he went on to train at The Tavistock and Portman and also worked part-time in NHS secondary care at Hackney and City trust and then The South Maudsley as a Psychotherapist , under the supervision of Dr. Dale Mathers, Dr. Desmond Biddulph OBE , consultant Jean Arundale. And Professor Kam Bhui. In 2015, he co-founded The Courtyard Garden Clinic, which became one of the largest private clinics in the UK. Greer continues his private practice from his clinic in Belgravia.[26][27]

  • "Perhaps that’s why I then became a psychotherapist. I am still looking for The Truth". [5]


Exhibitions

[edit]
  • 1993 Heartbeat of Fasion, Haus der Fotographie, F C Gundlach, Hamburg [28]
  • 1994 A Postive View, Saatchi Gallery, London [4][29]
  • 1995 Avedon My God, The Photographers' Gallery, London [4]
  • 1997 In Memorandum to Leigh Bowery, Fine Art Society, London [4]
  • 1997 Print Circle, The Photographers' Gallery, London[30]
  • 1998 Addressing the Century: 100 years of Art and Fashion, The Hayward Gallery, London[4][31]
  • 1999 Look at Me, RMIT Gallery, Melbourne[32]
  • 2001 Film Directors: Photographs by Fergus Greer, National Portrait Gallery, London[33]
  • 2002 Fergus Greer/Leigh Bowery, ICA, London[34]
  • 2003 Take a Bowery, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney[35]
  • 2004 Taboo, British School at Rome, Rome
  • 2005 Leigh Bowery-Useless Man, Perry Rubenstein Gallery, New York[36]
  • 2005 Leigh Bowery, 51st Venice Biennale (Curated by Rosa Martinez), Venice[37]
  • 2006 The Secret Public, Kunstverein, Munich[38]
  • 2006 Fergus Greer and Leigh Bowery, NRW, Dusseldorf.[28]
  • 2006 Into Me/Out of Me, KW ,Berlin.[39]
  • 2006 Photographer In Focus, Fergus Greer, National Portrait Gallery, London.[40][4][41][42]
  • 2007 Leigh Bowery, Domus Artium, Salamanca[28]
  • 2007 Fergus Greer, Guernsey Arts, Guernsey[43]
  • 2008 Leigh Bowery, Gallerie Albrecht , Munich - Kunstverein Hannover.[28]
  • 2009 Gay Icons, National Portrait Gallery, London[44][45]
  • 2010 Leigh Bowery and Other Butterflies, Contemporary Fine Arts, Berlin - Koster Fine Art Gallery, Amsterdam - Loftgalerie, Berlin - Heiner Bastian Gallery, Berlin[28]
  • 2011 The Actress Now, National Portrait Gallery, London[46]
  • 2012 Model Behaviour, ICA, London[47]
  • 2012 About Leigh Bowery, Camera 16 Contemporary Art, Milan[28]
  • 2012 No fashion, please!, Kunsthalle Wien, Vienna[28]  
  • 2014 Taboo or Not Taboo,  NGV, Victoria[48]
  • 2014 Real and Surreal, Staley Wise Gallery, New York[28]
  • 2019 Airpad 2019, Pier 94, New York[49]
  • 2019 Gossamer, Carl Freedman Gallery, Margate[50][51][52]
  • 2019 Fergus Greer:Leigh Bowery, Looks, Michael Hoppen Gallery, London [53][54][55]
  • 2022 Tell Them I Have Gone to Papua New Guinea, Fitzrovia Chapel, London[56]
  • 2023 Centre d’Art Contemporain, Genève - Chrysalis: The Butterfly Dream[57] [28]
  • 2024 Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of 80s London, Fashion and Textile Museum, London [5]
  • 2024 Paris Photo 2024, Grand Palais, Paris[58]
  • 2025 Leigh Bowery!, Tate Modern, London[59][60] [61][62][63][64]

Books

[edit]

Greer is the author of several books, including;

Personal Life

[edit]

Greer was married to Katya Caminada from 1996 to 2010. They have two children, Ludmilla and Balthazar.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "The rare stories behind classic portraits of luminary Leigh Bowery", Dazed Digital, London, 8 March 2019
  2. ^ "Fergus Greer", Thames & Hudson, London, Retrieved 13 January 2025
  3. ^ "Fergus Greer: Photographer in Focus", National Portrait Gallery, London, 27 February 2006
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Fergus Greer Photographer in Focus at NPG in London, Art Daily, New York, 26 August 2006
  5. ^ a b c d e Shooting Leigh Bowery, Civilian Magazine, London, 7 October 2024, 7 October 2024
  6. ^ "Photographs of Leigh Bowery Wearing His Most Daring Designs", AnOther Magazine, London, 6 March 2019
  7. ^ "Tights in art: why nylons are fetish and fantasy gold", The Guardian, London, 27 September 2019
  8. ^ "Photographer Fergus Greer's best shot", The Guardian, London, 20 March 2011
  9. ^ "Fergus Greer: Directors", National Portrait Gallery, London, 2 July 2001
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Search the Collection:Fergus Greer, National Portrait Gallery, London, Retrieved 13 January 2025
  11. ^ a b c d e f g Search the Collection:Fergus Greer, National Portrait Gallery, London, Retrieved 13 January 2025
  12. ^ "Fergus Greer with thirteen soldiers from the fourth company, first battalion of the Irish Guards", National Portrait Gallery, London, Retrieved 13 January 2025
  13. ^ "Hit or Hype", The Times, London, 1 April 2006
  14. ^ 'Ray Winstone", NPG, London,
  15. ^ "Michael Caine", NPG, London
  16. ^ "New Portrait of the Princes William and Harry at National Portrait Gallery in London", Art Daily, New York, 4 February 2011
  17. ^ "Royal Wedding Watch", Vanity Fair, New York, 7 February 2011
  18. ^ "Brothers at ease: New photo shows casual Princes William and Harry at their most informal", The Daily Mail, London, 4 February 2011
  19. ^ "40 outrageous photos that changed fashion", The Guardian, London, 18 November 2023
  20. ^ "How Leigh Bowery Defined the Look of Gay Culture in 1980s London", Hyperallergic, London, 9 April 2019
  21. ^ "Over 15 photographs of Leigh Bowery are being showcased at Michael Hoppen Galllery", Art Daily, New York, 12 March 2019
  22. ^ "Fergus Greer", Widewalls, London, 7 September 2013
  23. ^ "Fergus Greer",Eduard Planting Gallery, Amsterdam, Retrieved 12 January 2025
  24. ^ "I like the idea of presents that last", The Times London, 31 December 2017
  25. ^ "Top five galleries nationwide", The Times, London, 18 March 2006
  26. ^ "Fergus Greer", UK Council for Psychotherapy, London, Retrieved 13 January 2025
  27. ^ "Fergus Greer"Counselling Directory, London, Retrieved 13 January 2025
  28. ^ a b c d e f g h i Fergus Greer, Photography Now, London, Retreived 25 January 2025
  29. ^ "Art Market" The Independent, London, 10 September 1994
  30. ^ "Bongo Brando to go go", The Independent, London, 30 August 1997
  31. ^ "Addressing the Century: 100 years of Art and Fashion", Arts and Culture, London, 12 October 1998
  32. ^ "LOOK AT ME: LEIGH BOWERY" RMIT Gallery, Melbourne, 5 February 1999
  33. ^ "Fergus Greer: Directors", National Portrait Gallery, London, 2 July 2001
  34. ^ "Two exhibitions", Undo.net, London,18 July 2002
  35. ^ "Take a Bowery", Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, 17 December 2003
  36. ^ "Leigh Bowery-Useless Man", Like You, New York, 26 February 2005
  37. ^ "Always a Little Further', Universe in Universe, Venice, 12 June 2005
  38. ^ "The Secret Public" Artmap, Berlin, 7 October, 2006
  39. ^ "Into Me / Out Of Me", KW Institute, Berlin, 26 November 2006
  40. ^ "Fergus Greer: Photographer in Focus", National Portrait Gallery, London, 27 February 2006
  41. ^ "Hit or Hype", The Times, London, 1 April 2006
  42. ^ "Top five galleries nationwide", The Times, London, 18 March 2006
  43. ^ "GPF Exhibition: Fergus Greer", GSY.Arts, Guernsey, 25 September 2007
  44. ^ "Portrait of Alan Turing proves popular draw", Art Daily, New York, 12 September 2009
  45. ^ "Who are you calling a gay icon?" The Times, London, 27 March 2009
  46. ^ "Close-up: Portraits of contemporary actresses star in new show" The Independent, London, 11 October 2011
  47. ^ "Model Behaviour", The Standard, London, 11 April 2012
  48. ^ "Taboo or not taboo" NGV, Victoria, 2 June 2014
  49. ^ "Airpad New York", Michael Hoppen Gallery, London, 4 April 2019
  50. ^ "The exhibition that uses women’s hosiery to tell a story", The Independent, London, 10 October 2019
  51. ^ "Pantyhose That Makes You Think", The New York Times, New York, 27 September 2019
  52. ^ "The exhibition that uses women’s hosiery to tell a story", The Independent, London, 10 October 2019
  53. ^ "Style Savant Leigh Bowery Returns in New London Photo Show", Newsweek, New York, 9 March 2019
  54. ^ "How Leigh Bowery Defined the Look of Gay Culture in 1980s London", Hyperallergic, London, 9 April 2019
  55. ^ "Over 15 photographs of Leigh Bowery are being showcased at Michael Hoppen Galllery", Art Daily, New York, 12 March 2019
  56. ^ "Retrospective for performance artist, arch provocateur and 80s club kid Leigh Bowery hits London", The Standard, London, 24 January 2022
  57. ^ "Centre d’Art Contemporain Genève presents Chrysalis: The Butterfly Dream", DAN, London, 13 February 2023
  58. ^ "Paris Photo 2024", Michael Hoppen Gallery, 7 November 2024
  59. ^ "Leigh Bowery Takes Over London", ARTnews, London, 1 January 2025
  60. ^ "Leigh Bowery!", Tate Modern, London, 27th February 2025
  61. ^ "Leigh Bowery, Tate Modern", Artlyst, London, 17 December 2024
  62. ^ "6 Museum Exhibitions we are looking forward to in 2025", Fad Magazine, London, 6 January 2025
  63. ^ "The must-see exhibitions in 2025: from Leigh Bowery in London to Michaelina Wautier in Vienna", The Art Newspaper, London, 19 December 2024
  64. ^ "Wallpaper* Design Awards 2025: Tate Modern’s cultural shapeshifting takes the art prize" Wallpaper*, London, 13 January 2025
  65. ^ "Leigh Bowery Looks", Violette Editions, London, 2002
  66. ^ "Leigh Bowery Looks: Photographs by Fergus Greer 1988-1994", Goodreads, London, 13 June 2005
  67. ^ "Costume Drama", The Free Library, New York, 29 October 2002
  68. ^ "Leigh Bowery: The Confluence of Sensation, Shock, and Taboo in Art", Zarastro Art, Istanbul, Retrieved 15 January 2025
  69. ^ "Portraits: The World's Top Photographers", Goodreads, London, 13 October 2004
  70. ^ "Portraits: The World's Top Photographers and the Stories Behind Their Greatest Images", Lens Culture, London, Retrieved 14 January 2025
  71. ^ "Kosovo: The Balkans War", Abe Books, Munich, 2001
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