6.02.2010

PRISCILLA RATTAZZI: Best Friends

 Luna and Lola (Callaway)
Photograph (c) Priscilla Rattazzi /All Rights Reserved

Luna and Lola (Callaway)

  Beatrice Caracciolo with Vespa and Voyou
Photograph (c) Priscilla Rattazzi /All Rights Reserved

 The Duke of Beaufort with Lotte and Mabel
Photograph (c) Priscilla Rattazzi /All Rights Reserved

 Cristiana Brandolini and Kukuruz
Photograph (c) Priscilla Rattazzi /All Rights Reserved

 Elizabeth Avedon with Hogarth, Montauk
Photograph (c) Priscilla Rattazzi /All Rights Reserved

Diana Vreeland
Priscilla Rattazzi's iconic image of the greatest arbiter of style + elegance.
Photograph (c) Priscilla Rattazzi /All Rights Reserved


When Priscilla Rattazzi's book Best Friends (Rizzoli) was first published, photographs of famous and not-so-famous people with their canine friends, the New York Times covered the book party in Central Park, Canine Social Set Steps Out, with more than 50 dogs as the guests of honor. "The dogs had water and sampled the victuals at a doggie bar. George, an English bulldog, was the only snob. He decided crowds were not his thing."

Priscilla Rattazzi was born in Rome and came to the US in 1974. She studied photography at Sarah Lawrence College, followed by assisting fashion and still life photographer Hiro, before working as a fashion and portrait photographer for many years.
Exhibitions of her work include: the Staley Wise Gallery, New York; a retrospective at the Knoxville Museum of Art, Tennessee; a series of portraits of actors, producers and directors for the Tribeca Film Festival at the Jack Banning Gallery, NY; and a retrospective at the Valentina Moncada Gallery, Rome, Italy; among many others.

Ms. Rattazzi has published three books, as well as one portfolio: Best Friends (Rizzoli, 1998); Children (Rizzoli, 1992); and Georgica Pond (Callaway, 2000), a ten-year examination of a body of water on the East End of Long Island. Best Friends, The Portfolio (LunaLola Press, 2006), is a collection of fourteen of Priscilla's favorites portraits largely chosen from the original book Best Friends.

We look forward to her forthcoming book,
Luna and Lola (Callaway) available in Ralph Lauren stores.

8 comments:

Deana Sidney said...

That is an exceptional photo of you and Hogarth (great name, btw) it is so connected and serene. Lovely work.

Kristin H said...

Such a wonderful dreamy and relaxing picture of you and Hogarth! Love Montauk. That place made us somehow continue to live in New York.

ALIX said...

Your blog is always a wonderful source of inspiration.
(Your photo pure poetry) thanks and congratulations

P.Gaye Tapp at Little Augury said...

Elizabeth, gorgeous portraits- no one looks bad with their dog,pure love exudes. I love this book on the website-all so beautiful, and could this be the most iconic of the many wonderful Diana Vreeland photographs? pgt

Mary Helen-Art Saves Lives said...

This story of adoration fills my heart with Joy ...the pups certainly love one another and the images could teach the world about friendship. Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart

Bruce Barone said...

Beautiful photos!

Plus, she gets an A+ in my book of Social Media; I read about her a few years ago (Maybe in Town & Country) and was impressed with her spirit (and photos) and I wrote to tell her so and she had the grace to write back. I like that! I like that alot!!!

Caio Fern said...

icredible . all timeless images .

Rachel Wolfe said...

These hit me on an incredible personal level. To effectively capture the spirit of a golden retriever, or any breed or mix for that matter, which causes me to remember every moment and every feeling all at once, I just keep wanting to look at these photos again and again. They feel like my own.