What's so funny?
CT Guy 102
Mario Testino's 20th-birthday portrait of Prince Harry with his brother and
father shows the three royals sharing a joke. But is that all that's going on?
We ask the experts for their analysis
Tuesday September 14, 2004
The Guardian
Mark Borkowski
PR expert
Prince Harry's official 20th-birthday photograph is the tried-and-tested, safe
PR route favoured by the royal family and, in particular, Kensington Palace:
arty, clever, moody pictures selling the happy Wales household. The basic
problem is that Harry and William hate the media and what they did to their
mother. But what the press office is telling them is that they have to find
some way of having a dialogue with the beast they loathe. What we are
witnessing here is the swans gliding over the water; underneath there is an
ugly set of feet, swimming like crazy to create a perfect PR moment.What it
tries to sell is a harmonious picture of Buckingham Palace at ease with the
media. But it doesn't show that there will always be tectonic plates shifting.
The two princes, in particular William, will inevitably make some sort of
mistake for the media to feed off. More than anything, this picture shows the
symbiotic need of both parties.
Jonathan Jones
Guardian art writer
Mario Testino's photograph is not art. It isn't even a particularly good family
snapshot. It lacks the innocent clumsiness of pictures any one of us might
take, yet fails to replace this with the greater acuity of an art photograph.
In fact, it makes the relationship between Charles and his sons look phony.The
first false note is struck by the choice of black and white, which no one uses
unless they want to suggest deep aesthetic and emotional perceptions. By
removing the distraction of colour you can sharpen presence - think of Helmut
Newton's sado-masochist portrait of Margaret Thatcher. But in Testino's picture
there is a lack of fit between monochrome severity and the "lighthearted" pose.
This picture's worthlessness finally lies in its complete lack of emotional
plausibility. Relationships between fathers and sons are never as simple as
this. With a family history as tangled as that of Charles and his late wife,
there must be undercurrents. A convincing portrait of the Windsors would
require the services not of Mario Testino but David Chase, creator of The
Sopranos.
Jennie Bond
Former royal correspondent I think it is very unusual as a royal portrait,
particularly as the main character is not even facing the camera. It certainly
shows Charles at his most relaxed, which he is with the boys. What strikes me
most is the prominence of the Windsor nose in all three, which at least
confirms their blood ties. I like the picture because you just think, what can
be so funny? What is that Testino has just said or done to make them laugh so
much? It looks like a really natural giggle from Harry. It shows him as the lad
he is: quite immature, prone to bursts of girlish giggling, no doubt often
induced by the booze he's probably got stashed just out of his father's sight.
In fact, he is surprisingly normal for a prince. I think it is a lovely photo
that captures the real affection and strong relationship between all three of
them.
Eamonn McCabe
Guardian photographerGood to see that Mario Testino has found some work
shooting Christmas cards, a good little earner at this time of year when things
are quiet, even for the world's most famous fashion photographer (or so his
website says).One of the first rules of shooting a portrait is that you should
be able to see the face of the sitter, but then, this is a reject shot from the
Christmas-card shoot, so let's not be too critical: two out of three faces
ain't bad. But what is that pineapple doing coming out of Charles's left ear?
Jess Cartner-Morley
Guardian fashion editor
Prince Charles is having what fashion people call "a moment". Last week, the
very dapper pop star Andre 3000, almost certainly the only man ever to wear
plus-fours on MTV, cited the Prince of Wales as his fashion icon. And now here
he is looking really rather handsome - no mean feat when sitting next to the
beautiful Prince William.In earlier portraits, Charles was dressed differently
from his sons to represent his seniority; here, they are all in identical white
shirts to emphasise the fact that they are now all adults. All boys together,
is the message from the pose. The only wrong note is the western-style belt
Charles is wearing, which is horribly like something from George Bush's weekend
wardrobe.But what is most striking about this picture is the resemblance to one
of Testino's most famous portraits of Princess Diana, when she is wearing an
open-necked white shirt and smiling. If you look at that picture next to
William in this picture, the similarity is quite extraordinary. This is a
reference that Testino would certainly have seen when he was setting the
picture up. The effect is to make it seem almost as if Diana is there, too.
To see the picture:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/features/story/0,11710,1304185,00.html
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Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004
Related articles
02.02.2002: Review: Mario Testino, National Portrait Gallery
Sacha
> Guardian Unlimited Š Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004
>
> Related articles
> 02.02.2002: Review: Mario Testino, National Portrait Gallery
>
10/10 for Pomposity in most of those - what a dreary lot!
--
Sacha
su-t...@webtv.net
10/10 for Pomposity in most of those - what a dreary lot!
--
Sacha
===========
Yes, you've proved quite pompous & such a dreary lot, Sacha.
Susan, Su_Texas my opinions
Sacha
"su-t...@webtv.net" <su-t...@webtv.net> wrote:
> From: sa...@weedsgarden506.fsnet.co.uk (Sacha)
>
> 10/10 for Pomposity in most of those - what a dreary lot!
Ah! I see all members of the coven are gathered together. How *very*
predictable.
--
Sacha
Noelle
size. But can he help it if SJP or CH decides to release it?
The only one who made any sense (to me) is the photographer, and even
he was mocking. But the fashion person caught something - but I think
she had the wrong photographer. Diana, long ago, had her picture
taken with her two sons in similar shirts outside Highgrove, in black
and white, by Patrick Demarchelier.
Noelle
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ctgu...@aol.com (CT Guy 102) wrote in message news:<20040917114542...@mb-m27.aol.com>...