George Holz is an American photographer whose work spans 30 years and includes nudes, fashion, and celebrity portraits. He is a native of Oak Ridge Tennessee, and graduated from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California in 1980. While at Art Center, Holz assisted for Helmut Newton, who urged him to move to Milan to pursue his vision. In Europe, Holz’s work appeared in Italian Vogue, Lei, Linea Italiana, Madame Figaro and French Elle. After five years in Europe, he returned to New York City in the mid 1980’s and opened a studio in the Village.
In New York, his fashion and beauty editorial work appeared in Harper’s Bazaar, Interview Magazine, and the New York Times Magazine. Holz photographed many advertising campaigns for diverse clients including Max Factor, DeBeers Diamonds, and Elizabeth Arden. His “Gold” campaign for the International Gold Corporation won him a Clio Award.
In the early 1990's Holz’s work segued into celebrity portraiture. He began shooting in LA and NY for clients such as Vanity Fair, Entertainment Weekly, and In Style. He photographed major celebrities in music, film, sports and politics including Jack Nicholson, Angelina Jolie, Beyonce, Madonna, Michael Jordan and President Bill Clinton. Holz photographed movie posters including “Face Off” for Paramount Pictures with John Travolta and Nicholas Cage. Holz won a Grammy award for his photography on Suzanne Vega’s “Days of Open Hand” album cover.
George currently divides his time between assignments in NY, LA and Europe. He is also an adjunct professor for the MFA Photography Program at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and has taught numerous workshops in Maine, Santa Fe, Woodstock and Antwerp.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
The Art of Persuasion: A History of Advertising Photography, International Museum of Photography at the George Eastman House, Rochester NY, 1988 (permanent collection)
Centro Cultural /Arte Contemporaneo, Mexico City 1999 (permanent collection)
Photographs by George Holz: Hohschule fur Angewandte Hunst, Vienna, 1990
George Holz: G. Ray Hawkins Gallery, Los Angeles, 1991
Nude in Photography: La Foret Museum, Tokyo, 1993
George Holz Platinum Nudes: The Platinum Gallery Santa Fe, New Mexico, 1996
Original Sin: Staley Wise Gallery, New York, Robert Koch Gallery, San Francisco, Fahey Klein Gallery
Los Angeles, A Gallery for Fine Photography, New Orleans, Robert Klein Gallery, Boston, John Cleary Gallery, Houston, 1997-1998
The Portrait/The Nude III: Fahey Klein Gallery, Los Angeles, 2001
Three Boys from Pasadena: George Holz, Mark Arbeit, and Just Loomis: A Tribute to Helmut Newton" Curated by June Newton: Helmut Newton Foundation, Berlin 2009, Acte 2 Galerie, Paris 2010, and Clic Gallery, New York 2010, Art Cologne 2012, Williamson Gallery, Art Center College of Design, 2012 Pasadena, Eyeloco Gallery, Antwerp 2012
SELECTED CLIENTS
Arena Magazine
Avon
Axe
Bergdorf Goodman
Bloomingdales
Capitol Records
Caress
CBS
Chloe
Clairol
Cover Girl
Disney
Dove Chocolate
Drambuie
E!
Entertainment Weekly
Essence Magazine
Flaunt Magazine
Fox Broadcasting Company
General Mills
Glamour Magazine
GQ
Hanes
Hershey’s
In Style
Italian Vogue
Kohler
L’eggs
L’Oreal
Lucky Magazine
Men’s Health
Men’s Journal
Mercury Records
Natori
New York Magazine
Nike
Oprah
Paramount Pictures
People
Pepsi
Reebok
Rolling Stone
Saks Fifth Ave
Self Magazine
Seventeen Magazine
Sony Records
Spin Magazine
Tequila Sauza
Turner Broadcasting
Vanity Fair
Virgin Records
Warner Bros Records
WB Network
Wrigleys
YMI