Richard Avedon – Ronald Fisher, ‘Beekeeper’, 1981

Andy Warhol – ‘Green Marilyn’, 1962

At the age of sixteen, upon seeing the work of Irving Penn, Sandro Miller knew he wanted to become a photographer. Mostly self-taught, Sandro relied on books published by many of the great artists canonized in photographic history. Through their pictures, he learned the art of composition, lighting and portraiture.

Malkovich, Malkovich, Malkovich honors photographs that have impacted Sandro. Pieces include Irving Penn’s photograph of Truman Capote in a corner; Bert Stern’s photographs of Marilyn Monroe; Dorothea Lange’s image of a migrant mother; Robert Mapplethorpe’s self-portrait with a gun; Annie Leibovitz’s iconic image of John Lennon and Yoko Ono; Richard Avedon’s beekeeper, among many others.

When speaking about Malkovich, Sandro states:

John is the most brilliant, prolific person I know. His genius is unparalleled. I can suggest a mood or an idea and within moments, he literally morphs into the character right in front of my eyes. He is so trusting of my work and our process… I’m truly blessed to have him as my friend and collaborator.

Pierre et Gilles – Jean Paul Gaultier, 1990

Irving Penn – Capote, New York, 1948

Annie Leibovitz – John Lennon and Yoko Ono, 1980

Arthur Sasse – ‘Albert Einstein pulling tongue’, 1951

Andy Warhol – Self Portrait, ‘Fright Wig’, 1986

Carl Fischer – Muhammad Ali, New York, 1967

Alberto Korda – Che Guevara, 1960

source: http://edelmangallery.com/

image: bertsternmadman.com

Despite his impressive resume, he is most famous for his photographs of Marilyn Monroe taken weeks before her death that were published in Vogue magazine shortly after her passing. The shoot happened over three days and consisted of over 2,500 photos ranging from black and white to nudes. 20 years after Monroe’s death, Stern published the photos in a book titled Marilyn Monroe: The Complete Last Sitting.

image: fanpop.com

image: hisismarilyn.com

His rise to fame came as a strike of luck when Stern dropped out of high school, landing a job at the mailroom of Look magazine and befriending Stanley Kubrick, who was a staff photographer at the time. Stern found his niche in advertising, photographing products for clients, most notably for his Smirnoff campaign, which helped add some vodka to America’s alcohol diet.

image: oasis-mag.blogspot.com

image: fanpop.com

Stern also dipped his toes in the movie industry with his film Jazz on a Summer’s Day, however, photography continued as his strongest suit. Up until 2008 Stern kept adding to his résumé, photographing celebs like Madonna and Lindsay Lohan. In 2008, Stern attempted to recreate his Marilyn Monroe shoot with Lindsay Lohan but it was not as successful.

image: stoppers.com

Stern’s wife, Shannah Laumeister, directed a film about him in 2011 titled Bert Stern: Original Madman. The exact causes of Stern’s death have yet to be revealed but his wife says he had undergone testing shortly before his death. Laumeister survives Stern along with his three children Trista, Susannah, and Bret from his previous marriage to ballerina Allegra Kent.

Bert Stern: Original Madman official trailer on YouTube

image: fashiongonerogue.com

image: fashiongonerogue.com

images courtesy of:vogue.co.uk, fanpop.com,oasis-mag.blogspot.com, fstoppers.com, fashiongonerogue.com, thisismarilyn.com