Kenneth Willardt Explained

Kenneth Willardt is a Danish photographer based in New York City, specializing in celebrity, beauty, and fashion portraiture.

Life and work

Willardt grew up in Espergaerde, Denmark, near Copenhagen. He studied at the Danish School of Photography in Copenhagen and apprenticed under photographer Torsten Graae. He moved to New York City in 1987 where he has worked on beauty and fashion-focused editorials and campaigns.

Willardt has worked for Christian Dior, Nivea, L'Oréal, Pantene, and Target.^[1] He has done editorial work for W Magazine, Vanity Fair (U.S and Italian), Allure, GQ, InStyle, the British and U.S. editions of Glamour, the Brazilian, Chinese, Japanese, German and Spanish editions of Vogue,^{[2] [3]} A-Anna Magazine,^[4] Cosmopolitan,^[5] Marie Claire,^[3] and Seventeen.^[3] He has done a television campaign for Maybelline, and their 2009 "Maybelline Loves New York" and 2010 calendars.

For Willardt's 2013 exhibition Size Does Matter,^{[6] [7] [8]} Plus-size model Robyn Lawley was photographed nude with various animals, including rabbits, an owl, an octopus and tarantulas.^[8] Each image in the exhibit had a QR code. When the QR code was scanned with a cell phone, added movement in the image was visible on the cell phone screen.^[9] In addition to the images in the gallery, a billboard with Lawley flanked by bunnies was placed on the West Side Highway in Manhattan.

Awards

• 2003: "Photographer of the Year" award, Pantene Pro-V Beauty Awards, London.

Exhibitions

• 2003: "Bullseye" branding campaign "Sign of the Times" for Target was included in the Cooper Hewitt, National Design Museum's 2003 National Design Triennial.^[10]
• 2013: Size Does Matter, 588 Gallery, Chelsea, New York, November – December 2013. Solo exhibition.

Publications

• Beauty Book. Kempen, Germany: teNeues, 2014. . In conjunction with an exhibition at 588 Gallery, Chelsea, New York.

Notes and References

1. "Kenneth Willardt Wins Beauty Photo Award", Photo District News, 29 October 2003.
2. Web site: Kenneth Willardt. models.com. 30 October 2013.
3. Web site: Kenneth Willardt-Photographer . myfdb.com . 30 October 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131101082707/https://www.myfdb.com/people/5253-kenneth-willardt . 1 November 2013 .
4. Web site: Mariner Inn Motel June 2010 in ANNA. fashionmodeldirectory.com. 30 October 2013.
5. Web site: Willardt. Kenneth. Lady Gaga Pics You Won't See Anywhere Else. cosmopolitan.com. 8 March 2010 . Hearst Communications, Inc.. 30 October 2013.
6. Web site: Black. Liz. Robyn Lawley Is Nude And Stunning In "Size Does Matter" Exhibit. refinery29.com. Refinery 29. 14 January 2014. 13 November 2013.
7. News: Heyman. Marshall. Model Plus Animals. 14 January 2014. Wall Street Journal. 5 November 2013.
8. Web site: Sherman. Lauren. Plus-Size Poster Girl Robyn Lawley Bares It All in a New Gallery Exhibit. elle.com. 14 January 2014. 7 November 2013.
9. Brown. Emma. Kenneth Willardt's Augmented Debut. Interview Magazine. 8 November 2013 . 14 January 2014.
10. Book: Lupton . Ellen . Ellen Lupton . Albrecht . Donald . Yelavich . Susan . Owens . Mitchell . 2003 . Inside Design Now: The National Design Triennial . New York, NY . . 2003 . 174 . 9781568983950 . 2002015746 . 260027916 . 30 October 2013.