Sandro Miller: MALKOVICH, MALKOVICH, MALKOVICH: HOMAGE TO PHOTOGRAPHIC MASTERS

The Fahey/Klein Gallery is pleased to announce the upcoming exhibition, Malkovich, Malkovich, Malkovich: Homage to Photographic Masters, a new photographic collaboration between Chicago photographer Sandro Miller and actor John Malkovich. The exhibition opens to the public on February 12th from 7-9pm, and will run through March 21st, 2015.

From Left to Right: Philippe Halsman / Salvador Dalí (1954), 2014 © Sandro Miller, Andy Warhol / Self Portrait (Fright Wig) (1986), 2014 © Sandro Miller, Dorothea Lange / Migrant Mother, Nipomo, California (1936), 2014 © Sandro Miller

At the age of sixteen, upon seeing the work of Irving Penn, Sandro Miller knew he wanted to become a photographer. Mostly self-taught, Sandro relied on books published by many of the great artists canonized in photographic history. Through their pictures, he learned the art of composition, lighting and portraiture. More than 30 years later, with clients from Forbes, GQ and Esquire, to American Express, Coca-Cola and BMW, Sandro has secured his place as one of the top advertising photographers worldwide.

Sandro’s success in commercial photography allows him to continue his personal projects, which have included working in Cuba, photographing American blues musicians, various dance troupes, and extended endeavors with John Malkovich, his long time friend and collaborator. Sandro first met

Malkovich in the late 1990s, while working on a job for Steppenwolf Theater. More than 16 years later, Sandro and John are still collaborating, recently in their most elaborate photographic project yet, Malkovich, Malkovich, Malkovich: Homage to Photographic Masters.

In 2013, Sandro set out to complete an ambitious series honoring the men and women whose photographs helped shape his career. After selecting forty one images to emulate, Sandro contacted Malkovich, who instantly agreed to participate. When speaking about Malkovich, Sandro states, “John is the most brilliant, prolific person I know. His genius is unparalleled. I can suggest a mood or an idea and within moments, he literally morphs into the character right in front of my eyes. He is so trusting of my work and our process… I’m truly blessed to have him as my friend and collaborator.”

Malkovich, Malkovich, Malkovich: Homage to Photographic Masters honors the photographs that have inspired and impacted Sandro, including Irving Penn’s portrait of Truman Capote crouched in a corner; Bert Stern’s photographs of Marilyn Monroe; Dorothea Lange’s image of a migrant mother during the Great Depression; Robert Mapplethorpe’s self-portrait with gun; Annie Leibovitz’s image of John Lennon and Yoko Ono shot for Rolling Stone Magazine; Diane Arbus’ iconic photograph of a boy holding a toy hand grenade; Richard Avedon’s beekeeper, among many others.

Sandro and his studio spent a year fastidiously researching each original photograph— studying every detail, hunting down outtakes from the shoots, and interviewing photographers. Each detail captured in the original photographs had to be painstakingly recreated in Sandro’s version. After a year of planning, Miller and his team of set builders, make-up experts and costume designers worked with Malkovich over six 15 hour days in Sandro’s Chicago Studio. Each set was pre-lit and dressed, waiting for Malkovich to transition from one character to the next.

John Malkovich is considered to be one the greatest American actors of the 21st century. In Malkovich, Malkovich, Malkovich: Homage to Photographic Masters, he demonstrates his chameleon-like proclivity, morphing into Albert Einstein, Alfred Hitchcock, John Lennon and Andy Warhol. Through his immense skill and Sandro’s amazing photographic eye, Malkovich, Malkovich, Malkovich: Homage to Photographic Masters pays homage to photographic history through the genius of a photographer and his muse.

The Fahey/Klein Gallery has been exhibiting and selling Fine Art photography at its primary Los Angeles location since 1986. With a collection of over 10,000 photographs, the gallery’s inventory includes rare, 20th century classic, and contemporary Fine Art photography. The Fahey/Klein Gallery’s exhibition program has been devoted to extending the awareness of and appreciation for Fine Art photography to the beginning collector and experienced connoisseur, as well as assisting and counseling museums and institutions on their acquisitions. In December 2014, Fahey/Klein Gallery opened a new gallery space located in Miami’s vibrant design district.

For press inquiries, contact the Fahey/Klein Gallery