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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 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. 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 exhibitions and held in many public and private collections, including 65 works at the National Portrait Gallery, London.[1]

Early life and education

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Greer was born on 8 May 1961, in Aldershot, Hampshire. His family moved to Ireland in 1970 but returned to the UK in 1976. After leaving school, he went on to study at St Martin's School of Art, London. He then attended Royal Military Academy Sandhurst passing out in 1983.[2]

Career

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The Irish Guards

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After Sandhurst, Greer was commissioned as an officer into the Irish Guards, he served for 4 years.[2]

Photography

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After leaving the army in 1987, Greer began his career in photography as a studio assistant to a number of photographers, including Richard Avedon,[3] soon becoming Terence Donovan's full-time studio manager and assistant.[4] In 1988 he met the performance artist and designer Leigh Bowery,[3] with whom he established a fruitful working collaboration that ended when Bowery died in 1994.[5][6][7] 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.[8] During this time Greer was also developing his freelance photographic career with commercial[9] and private commissions and with a variety of magazines. He regularly shot covers for The Sunday Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, Fortune, The New York Times Magazine, and The New Yorker.[10]

Greer relocated to Los Angeles in 1997 to expand his international reputation and career as a portrait photographer, his list of sitters encompasses royalty, famous artists, actors, musicians, writers, politicians, businesspeople, academics, and athletes.[11] His work has been recognised with 2 solo exhibitions at the National Portrait Gallery, London in 2001[12] and 2006.[13][2][14][15] The Gallery holds 65 of Greer's portraits, including:-


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,[2] 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.[44]

In December 2006, when Greer came back to live in the UK, he was commissioned by Clarence House to return to Sandhurst to photograph Prince William and Prince Harry. The informal double portrait was taken in the Commandant's House and was supposed to be used at the Concert for Diana in 2007; however, it was never published. The photograph was seen publicly for the first time in 2011 at an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, London.[45] Vanity Fair has suggested that this portrait was the start of "a new dress-code option: royal casual."[46] The Daily Mail commented that the Princes had been photographed together before but had "rarely seemed so at ease.[47]

The interest in the "most remarkable portfolio of work"[3] with Leigh Bowery has been enduring. In 2002, Greer published a collection of photos in the book, Leigh Bowery Looks.[48][49][50][51] Greer's photos of Bowery have featured in numerous exhibitions over the years. In 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."[52][53][54] The online art magazine, Dazed Digital, has said, "Greer photographed Bowery in what have become some of the most richly classic and culturally important portraits of the artist to date. The permanent relevance of Greer's images is found in the way they have culturally preserved the icon."[55]

Greer's work will be extensively used in the major retrospective exhibition "Leigh Bowery!" at the Tate Modern, opening in February 2025[56][57]

Psychotherapy

[edit]

As a continuation of his interest in the human condition and his search for the "truth" while making photographic portraits,[3] Greer trained as an adult psychotherapist at The Westminster Pastoral Foundation between 2010 and 2015. From 2012 he has worked as a psychotherapist for the NHS, firstly in Hackney and then at Guys Hospital, London.

In 2015, Greer co-founded The Courtyard Garden Clinic and The Ebury Practice in London, from where he practices privately.[58][59]

Exhibitions

[edit]

Over the years Greer has contributed photographs to many exhibitions around the world, including:-

  • 1993 Heartbeat of Fasion, Haus der Fotographie, F C Gundlach, Hamburg [60]
  • 1994 A Positive View, Saatchi Gallery, London [2][61]
  • 1995 Avedon My God, The Photographers' Gallery, London [2]
  • 1997 In Memorandum to Leigh Bowery, Fine Art Society, London [2]
  • 1997 Print Circle, The Photographers' Gallery, London[62]
  • 1998 Addressing the Century: 100 years of Art and Fashion, The Hayward Gallery, London[2][63]
  • 1999 Look at Me, RMIT Gallery, Melbourne[64]
  • 2001 Film Directors: Photographs by Fergus Greer, National Portrait Gallery, London[65]
  • 2002 Fergus Greer/Leigh Bowery, ICA, London[66][67]
  • 2003 Take a Bowery, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney[68]
  • 2005 Leigh Bowery-Useless Man, Perry Rubenstein Gallery, New York[69]
  • 2005 Leigh Bowery, 51st Venice Biennale (Curated by Rosa Martinez), Venice[70]
  • 2006 Taboo, British School at Rome, Rome[71]
  • 2006 The Secret Public, Kunstverein, Munich[72]
  • 2006 Fergus Greer and Leigh Bowery, NRW, Düsseldorf.[60]
  • 2006 Into Me/Out of Me, KW, Berlin.[73]
  • 2006 Photographer In Focus, Fergus Greer, National Portrait Gallery, London.[13][2][15]
  • 2007 Leigh Bowery, Domus Artium, Salamanca[60]
  • 2007 Fergus Greer, Guernsey Arts, Guernsey[74]
  • 2008 Leigh Bowery, Gallerie Albrecht, Munich – Kunstverein Hannover.[60]
  • 2009 Gay Icons, National Portrait Gallery, London[75][76][77]
  • 2010 Leigh Bowery and Other Butterflies, Contemporary Fine Arts, Berlin – Koster Fine Art Gallery, Amsterdam – Loftgalerie, Berlin – Heiner Bastian Gallery, Berlin[60]
  • 2011 The Actress Now, National Portrait Gallery, London[78]
  • 2012 Model Behaviour, ICA, London[79]
  • 2012 About Leigh Bowery, Camera 16 Contemporary Art, Milan[60]
  • 2012 No fashion, please!, Kunsthalle Wien, Vienna[60] * 2014 Taboo or Not Taboo,  NGV, Victoria[80]
  • 2014 Real and Surreal, Staley Wise Gallery, New York[60]
  • 2017 The Unflinching Gaze, Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, New South Wales[81]
  • 2019 Airpad 2019, Pier 94, New York[82]
  • 2019 Gossamer, Carl Freedman Gallery, Margate[83]"Pantyhose That Makes You Think", The New York Times, New York, 27 September 2019</ref>
  • 2019 Less is a Bore: Maximalist Art & Design, ICA, Boston[84]
  • 2019 Fergus Greer:Leigh Bowery, Looks, Michael Hoppen Gallery, London[85][86][52][53]
  • 2022 Tell Them I Have Gone to Papua New Guinea, Fitzrovia Chapel, London[87]
  • 2023 Centre d'Art Contemporain, Genève – Chrysalis: The Butterfly Dream[88][60]
  • 2024 Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of 80s London, Fashion and Textile Museum, London[89][3]
  • 2024 Paris Photo 2024, Grand Palais, Paris[90]
  • 2025 Leigh Bowery!, Tate Modern, London[91][92][93][94][95][96][97]

Books

[edit]

Greer is the author of several books, including;

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Fergus Greer: Photographer", National Portrait Gallery, London, Retrieved 20 January 2025
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Fergus Greer Photographer in Focus at NPG in London, Art Daily, New York, 26 August 2006
  3. ^ a b c d e Shooting Leigh Bowery, Civilian Magazine, New York, 7 October 2024, 7 October 2024
  4. ^ "Photographs of Leigh Bowery Wearing His Most Daring Designs", AnOther Magazine, London, 6 March 2019
  5. ^ "Leigh Bowery Celebrated In Photos By Fergus Greer", Artlyst, London, 12 March 2019
  6. ^ "Photographer Fergus Greer's best shot", The Guardian, London, 20 March 2011
  7. ^ "Tights in art: why nylons are fetish and fantasy gold", The Guardian, London, 27 September 2019
  8. ^ "40 outrageous photos that changed fashion", The Guardian, London, 18 November 2023
  9. ^ "Sporting Lines of Alfa Romeo's UK Atheletes Help Raise Money for Heart Research UK", Stellantis, London, 2011
  10. ^ "Fergus Greer: Directors",National Portrait Gallery, London, 2 July 2001
  11. ^ "Fergus Greer", Widewalls, London, 7 September 2013
  12. ^ "Fergus Greer: Directors", National Portrait Gallery, London, 2 July 2001
  13. ^ a b "Fergus Greer: Photographer in Focus", National Portrait Gallery, London, 27 February 2006
  14. ^ "Hit or Hype", The Times, London, 1 April 2006
  15. ^ a b "Top five galleries nationwide", The Times, London, 18 March 2006
  16. ^ "William, Prince of Wales; Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex", National Portrait Gallery, London, 2006
  17. ^ "Margaret Thatcher", National Portrait Gallery, London, 2006
  18. ^ "Margaret Thatcher; Fergus Greer" National Portrait Gallery, London, 1995
  19. ^ "David Cameron" National Portrait Gallery, London, 2008
  20. ^ "Gordon Brown", National Portrait Gallery, London, 2007
  21. ^ "Kevin Keegan" National Portrait Gallery, London, 1993
  22. ^ "Simon Cowell" National Portrait Gallery, London, 2003
  23. ^ "Malcolm McDowell National Portrait Gallery, London, 2001
  24. ^ "Annie Leibovitz", National Portrait Gallery, London, 2006
  25. ^ "The Sex Pistols" National Portrait Gallery, London, 1990
  26. ^ "Bill Gates" National Portrait Gallery, London, 1992
  27. ^ "Quentin Crisp" National Portrait Gallery, London, 2006
  28. ^ "David Bowie" National Portrait Gallery, London, 2001
  29. ^ "Ray Winstone", National Portrait Gallery, London, 1998
  30. ^ "Michael Caine" National Portrait Gallery, London, 2003
  31. ^ "Robbie Williams",National Portrait Gallery, London, 2005
  32. ^ "John Peel", National Portrait Gallery, London, 2000
  33. ^ "Thom Gunn" National Portrait Gallery, London, 2000
  34. ^ "Mike Leigh" National Portrait Gallery, London, 1998
  35. ^ "Julie Christie" National Portrait Gallery, London, 2000
  36. ^ "Tom Stoppard" National Portrait Gallery, London, 1999
  37. ^ "Simon Sebag Montefiore" National Portrait Gallery, London, 2004
  38. ^ "Vivienne Westwood", National Portrait Gallery, London, 1990
  39. ^ "Brian Cox", National Portrait Gallery, London, 1997
  40. ^ "Steve Coogan" National Portrait Gallery, London, 1991
  41. ^ "Hugh Grant", National Portrait Gallery, London, 1992
  42. ^ "Caroline Aherne" National Portrait Gallery, London, 1997
  43. ^ "Damien Hirst" National Portrait Gallery, London, 1992
  44. ^ "Fergus Greer with thirteen soldiers from the fourth company, first battalion of the Irish Guards", National Portrait Gallery, London, Retrieved 13 January 2025
  45. ^ "New Portrait of the Princes William and Harry at National Portrait Gallery in London", Art Daily, New York, 4 February 2011
  46. ^ "Royal Wedding Watch", Vanity Fair, New York, 7 February 2011
  47. ^ "Brothers at ease: New photo shows casual Princes William and Harry at their most informal", The Daily Mail, London, 4 February 2011
  48. ^ a b "Leigh Bowery Looks", Violette Editions, London, 2002
  49. ^ a b "Leigh Bowery Looks: Photographs by Fergus Greer 1988–1994", Goodreads, London, 13 June 2005
  50. ^ a b "Costume Drama", The Free Library, New York, 29 October 2002
  51. ^ a b "Leigh Bowery: The Confluence of Sensation, Shock, and Taboo in Art", Zarastro Art, Istanbul, Retrieved 15 January 2025
  52. ^ a b "How Leigh Bowery Defined the Look of Gay Culture in 1980s London", Hyperallergic, London, 9 April 2019
  53. ^ a b "Over 15 photographs of Leigh Bowery are being showcased at Michael Hoppen Galllery", Art Daily, New York, 12 March 2019
  54. ^ "Fergus Greer",Eduard Planting Gallery, Amsterdam, Retrieved 12 January 2025
  55. ^ "The rare stories behind classic portraits of luminary Leigh Bowery", Dazed Digital, London, 8 March 2019
  56. ^ "Leigh Bowery!", Tate Modern, London, 27th February 2025
  57. ^ "34 Of The Best Art Exhibitions In London To See In 2025", Secret London, London, 11 January 2025
  58. ^ "Fergus Greer", UK Council for Psychotherapy, London, Retrieved 13 January 2025
  59. ^ "Fergus Greer" Counselling Directory, London, Retrieved 13 January 2025
  60. ^ a b c d e f g h i Fergus Greer, Photography Now, London, Retrieved 25 January 2025
  61. ^ "Art Market" The Independent, London, 10 September 1994
  62. ^ "Bongo Brando to go go", The Independent, London, 30 August 1997
  63. ^ "Addressing the Century: 100 years of Art and Fashion", Arts and Culture, London, 12 October 1998
  64. ^ "Look at Me: Leigh Bowery" RMIT Gallery, Melbourne, 5 February 1999
  65. ^ "Fergus Greer: Directors", National Portrait Gallery, London, 2 July 2001
  66. ^ "Leigh Bowery, ideal husband", The Guardian, London, 21 July 2002
  67. ^ "Two exhibitions", Undo.net, London,18 July 2002
  68. ^ "Take a Bowery", Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, 17 December 2003
  69. ^ "Leigh Bowery-Useless Man", Like You, New York, 26 February 2005
  70. ^ "Always a Little Further', Universe in Universe, Venice, 12 June 2005
  71. ^ ""Taboo". Le provocazioni di Leigh Bowery", Marx21, Rome, 15 April 2006
  72. ^ "The Secret Public" Artmap, Berlin, 7 October 2006
  73. ^ "Into Me / Out Of Me", KW Institute, Berlin, 26 November 2006
  74. ^ "GPF Exhibition: Fergus Greer", GSY.Arts, Guernsey, 25 September 2007
  75. ^ "Portrait of Alan Turing proves popular draw", Art Daily, New York, 12 September 2009
  76. ^ "Who are you calling a gay icon?" The Times, London, 27 March 2009
  77. ^ "Exhibition: 'Gay Icons' at the National Portrait Gallery, London", Art Blart, Melbourne, 14 July 2009
  78. ^ "Close-up: Portraits of contemporary actresses star in new show" The Independent, London, 11 October 2011
  79. ^ "Model Behaviour", The Standard, London, 11 April 2012
  80. ^ "Taboo or not taboo" NGV, Victoria, 2 June 2014
  81. ^ "The Unflinching Gaze", Art Blart, Melbourne, 26 November 2017
  82. ^ "Airpad New York", Michael Hoppen Gallery, London, 4 April 2019
  83. ^ "The exhibition that uses women's hosiery to tell a story", The Independent, London, 10 October 2019
  84. ^ "Less Is a Bore: Maximalist Art & Design", ICA, Boston, 26 June 2019
  85. ^ "In Pictures: The Many Looks of Leigh Bowery", Frieze, London, 12 March 2019
  86. ^ "Style Savant Leigh Bowery Returns in New London Photo Show", Newsweek, New York, 9 March 2019
  87. ^ "Retrospective for performance artist, arch provocateur and 80s club kid Leigh Bowery hits London", The Standard, London, 24 January 2022
  88. ^ "Centre d'Art Contemporain Genève presents Chrysalis: The Butterfly Dream", DAN, London, 13 February 2023
  89. ^ "The lore of Leigh Bowery", The Face, London, 3 December 2024
  90. ^ "Paris Photo 2024", Michael Hoppen Gallery, 7 November 2024
  91. ^ "The best art exhibitions of 2025, picked by our expert" The Daily Telegraph, London, 3 January 2025
  92. ^ "Leigh Bowery Takes Over London", ARTnews, London, 1 January 2025
  93. ^ "Leigh Bowery!", Tate Modern, London, 11 November 2024
  94. ^ "Leigh Bowery, Tate Modern", Artlyst, London, 17 December 2024
  95. ^ "6 Museum Exhibitions we are looking forward to in 2025", Fad Magazine, London, 6 January 2025
  96. ^ "The must-see exhibitions in 2025: from Leigh Bowery in London to Michaelina Wautier in Vienna", The Art Newspaper, London, 19 December 2024
  97. ^ "Wallpaper* Design Awards 2025: Tate Modern's cultural shapeshifting takes the art prize" Wallpaper*, London, 13 January 2025
  98. ^ "Kosovo: The Balkans War", Abe Books, Munich, 2001
  99. ^ "Portraits: The World's Top Photographers", Goodreads, London, 13 October 2004
  100. ^ "Portraits: The World's Top Photographers and the Stories Behind Their Greatest Images", Lens Culture, London, Retrieved 14 January 2025
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