Hom Exhibition Moves Outdoors
COOPERSTOWN—Danish photographer Marc Hom is recognized for his iconic portraits of some of the most recognized faces in the world. Over his decades-long career, he has artistically captured the likeness of Hollywood and cultural elites such as Anne Hathaway, Miley Cyrus, Angelina Jolie, Taylor Swift, King Frederik X of Denmark, and a seemingly endless list of notable names.
“Marc Hom: Re-Framed” is a summation of Hom’s work to date and a portrait of the artist’s restless mind. On view from May 25–September 2 at Fenimore Art Museum, the new exhibition offers visitors two components. The first resembles a traditional gallery retrospective. The second brings Hom’s work into a wilder space—the outdoors. Here his polished studio portraits are printed 11 feet high and mounted on Masonite frames that catch the weather, swiveling in the wind.
“From the moment I saw Marc Hom’s beautiful photographic work and became aware that he lived close by the museum, I wanted to showcase his photographs in our galleries,” said Dr. Paul S. D’Ambrosio, Fenimore Art Museum president and chief executive officer. “Marc’s exhibition moves photography into new realms, coaxing us to follow along and giving us more freedom to explore the stunning images in our own ways. Fenimore is proud to share this groundbreaking new venture.”
Hom saw the exhibition as a chance to push against the conventions of a traditional gallery retrospective. For years, he had been fascinated by sculpture gardens—most of all Storm King, the 500-acre outdoor museum of landscaped fields in New York’s Hudson Valley. There, he thought, was art that did not merely rest against the wall waiting for passing admiration; the pieces almost grab you as you walk among them.
While experiencing the outdoor portion of Hom’s exhibition, visitors will make their way through 28 images of ageless elegance—Anne Hathaway, Johnny Depp, Sofia Coppola, Cher—larger than life and perched in formation overlooking the pristine waters of Otsego Lake and its environs.
“I always loved the idea of being able to see art in all different kinds of situations,” said Hom. “It’s one thing in the spring. It’s a different thing in the snow. It’s different in the rain, in the summer, in shadow, and in sun. So why don’t we try to combine the controlled environment of a so-called ordinary exhibition with the big open fields—a world completely uncontrolled?”
A Copenhagener, Hom was born in 1967, a child of the postwar explosion of Scandinavian creativity and style. His father, Jesper, was an accomplished photographer as well.
Hom moved from Copenhagen to New York in 1989 after completing his photographic degree at the Danish Art Academy. Working freelance for over a year with some of the most established photographers there, he then spent the next six month in Vienna, commissioned to do a book of images for the Vienna Ballet. Finalizing the project, Hom returned to New York and began working with the late Liz Tilberis and Fabien Baron of “Harper’s Bazaar,” which introduced him to the world of fashion photography, a major turning point in his career.
Hom is now recognized as one of the most iconic portrait photographers in the world. He is renowned for photographing some of the most talented, influential and innovative individuals of our time. He is a regular contributor to “Esquire,” “Entertainment Weekly” and “Town & Country,” and has photographed multiple fashion campaigns for Gucci, Patek Philippe. and Boss. His entertainment clients include Netflix, Showtime and Amazon. He is currently based in New York City.
“Marc Hom: Re-Framed” is organized by Fenimore Art Museum. The exhibition is sponsored in part by Nellie and Robert Gipson and Mr. and Mrs. Thomas O. Putnam.
As a companion to the exhibition, Hom’s new book, “Re-Framed,” features the entire selection of portraiture on display and also details the development of the exhibition. The 160-page hard-cover is available exclusively at Fenimore Art Museum’s retail shop and on the museum’s website.
Visit FenimoreArt.org for more information.
