BIOGRAPHY:

George Holz was born in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, in 1956 and graduated from the Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, California, in 1980. He apprenticed for Helmut Newton while still in college and credits him with mentorship and guidance that deeply influenced his career. As a young photographer, Holz lived in Milan and Paris where he shot beauty and fashion for major European magazines such as Lei, Linea Italiana, L’Officiel, Vogue Italia, and French Elle. He moved to New York City and set up his legendary studio on Lafayette Street, shooting fashion, beauty, advertising, and portraits for major publications and companies such as Mademoiselle, Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair, Elizabeth Arden, and Nike. He’s photographed some of the most recognizable and iconic movie posters and album covers including Face Off with John Travolta and Nicolas Cage, and Madonna’s Borderline.

Holz’s fine-art nudes and portraits have been exhibited in prestigious galleries and museums around the world, and his photographs are a part of many private collections. His Grammy and Clio awards highlight a number of prestigious industry recognitions.

His 2016 monograph, Holz Hollywood: 30 Years of Portraits, is a virtual who’s-who in the world of film, music, television, sports, and politics, spanning three decades. Angelina Jolie, Jack Nicholson, Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt, Mariah Carey, Serena and Venus Williams, and Javier Bardem are just a few of the people featured in the book.

Holz lectures internationally at museums and universities, teaches workshops, and mentors young photographers. He travels extensively for his commercial and personal work, shooting advertising campaigns, iconic album covers, movie posters, and editorial features, as well as his fine art photographs.

Photograph © Markus C. Hurek

SELECT EXHIBITIONS AND COLLECTIONS:

Exclusivement Féminin: A.galerie, Paris, 2021
Newton SUMO, George Holz, Mark Arbeit, Just Loomis, Private Photo Collection, Helmut Newton Foundation: Berlin, 2019
NUDE: Galleri Fine Art, Oslo, 2019
FAME: Galleri Fine Art, Oslo, 2019
New York Public Library, Permanent Collection
Three Boys from Pasadena: A Tribute to Helmut Newton, Curated by June Newton: Helmut Newton Foundation, Berlin 2009; Acte 2 Galerie, Paris 2010; Clic Gallery, New York 2010; Art Cologne 2012; Williamson Gallery, Art Center College of Design, Pasadena 2012; Eyeloco Gallery, Antwerp 2012
Centro Cultural /Arte Contemporaneo, Mexico City, 1999 (permanent collection)
The Portrait/The Nude III: Fahey Klein Gallery, Los Angeles, 2001
Original Sin: Photographs by George Holz: 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
George Holz Platinum Nudes: The Platinum Gallery Santa Fe, New Mexico, 1996
Nude in Photography: La Foret Museum, Tokyo, 1993 (permanent collection)
Somethings’s Out There, Danger in Contemporary Photography: The National Art’s Club, New York
George Holz: G. Ray Hawkins Gallery, Los Angeles, 1991
An Exhibition of Photography by George Holz: The Kossuth Klub Museum, Budpapest, 1990
George Holz: Photographs: The Center for Photography at Woodstock, 1989
The Art of Persuasion: A History of Advertising Photography: International Center for Photography, New York 1998 & International Museum of Photography at the George Eastman House, Rochester NY, 1988 (permanent collection)

SELECT CLIENTS:

Avon, Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdales, Capitol Records, Caress, Cazadores Tequila, CBS, Chloe, Clairol, Cover Girl, DaBeers, Disney, Dove Chocolate, Drambuie, E!, Entertainment Weekly, Essence Magazine, Flaunt Magazine, Fox Broadcasting Company, General Mills, Glamour Magazine, GQ, Hanes, Hershey’s, In Style, International Gold Corporation, Kohler, L’eggs, Lei, L’Oreal, Lucky Magazine, Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Mercury Records, Natori, New York Magazine, New York Times 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, Vogue Italia, Warner Bros Records, and WB Network.

SELECT WORKSHOPS/LECTURES:

Annenberg Space for Photography Los Angeles; Art Center College of Design, Pasadena; Academy of Art University, San Francisco; Center for Photography at Woodstock; Maine Photographic Workshops; New School of Social Research, New York; Parson’s School of Design, New York; Palm Springs Photo Festival; Santa Fe Photographic Workshops; University of Tennessee, Knoxville; World Photography Cup Keynote Speaker, Norges Fotografforbund, Drammen Norway.

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