Wednesday Art - Peter Hill Beard

So I was late with my Wednesday Art last week. And it's happened again this week!  There's a reason - I have a very difficult time choosing the artist. And I ponder and meander and ponder some more, and then of course, I run out of time.  Ok, with all that said, today's artist was not even a contender until this morning when I was driving to work!

Today's artist is Peter Hill Beard.  He is often referred to as the guy who "discovered" Iman,yes THE supermodel.  Beard discovered Iman during one of his earlier trips to Africa.  He's an adventurous soul whose love of Africa and wildlife animals led him to take some of the most exotic photographs of African wildlife animals, especially elephants. His penchant for adventure almost cost him his life on several occasions, including the time he was stomped by an elephant that left him with shattered pelvis, and without a pulse by the time he reached a hospital in Nairobi. (See this article from Vanity Fair (1996).) But he survived, of course.  Beard's works are mostly collages of photographs, often framed or accented with wildlife animal's blood stains and streaks. His personal life has been the topic of many magazines as he's had many lovers, whose names or whose spouses' names are instantly recognizable. Well, when you look at the photos of young Beard, you'd probably swoon like those ladies did back in those hazy days of Studio 54. 

Ok, I'm ending this rather wordy post with this fact.  During my twenties, I was just walking aimlessly in Soho, NY with my BoH Nancy, and decided to walk into a small gallery.  When I did, I realized I had walked into Peter Beard's exhibition.  So, I got to see a lot of Beard's work in person, which just floors me to this day!!!  

Happy Wednesday (almost Thursday) Art!!  

(See here for information discussed here on Beard).