Apr 18, 20163 min read

The Legacy of Brad Branson: Capturing the Icons of the 80s and 90s

Annie Lennox by Brad Branson

Photo Independent Raleigh Studios Hollywood 5300 Melrose Avenue Hollywood, CA 90038 http://photoindependent.com/

April 29 – May 1, 2016 Opening Night Party: Friday, April 29, 7-10pm General Hours: Saturday, April 30, 11am–7pm Sunday, May 1, 11am–6pm

http://www.bradbranson.net/

When Brad Branson died suddenly in 2012 at 49 years of age, he left behind an incredible wealth of photographs documenting the arts and fashion scene of the 80s and 90s. Los Angeles can once again see the work of this talented photographer at Photo Independent opening April 29 until May 1 at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood. Curated by his sister, Jan Lane, the collection honors the legacy of Branson’s work and provides us with a glimpse of the fashions and legends of the 80s and 90s.

Born in Los Angeles, Branson had an early passion for the music and movies of the 1930s and 40s. At seventeen, he managed a chance to meet movie legend Gloria Swanson who was charmed by him that she offered him a part-time job as her personal assistant. Taken under the wing of renowned photographer, Paul Jasmin, Branson’s portraits of pop and underground cult icons began appearing in magazines including Andy Warhol’s Interview, Vanity Fair, L.A. Style, and Rolling Stone.

Moving to Amsterdam in 1988, Branson teamed with talented Dutch artist, Fritz Kok and the pair begain working under the name, Indüstria. The pair was in hot demand and featured in international magazines including Blitz, Diva, The Face, Harpers & Queen, Select, and Vogue and in exhibitions at both London’s Victoria and Albert Musuem and the Black and White Gallery. Their album design credits included covers for Boy George and Robert Palmer,’s Addictions Vols. 1 and 2. Branson’s photographs also appeared on albums for George Michael, Elton John, Paul Rutherford, and Marc Almond.

Jean Michel Basquiat by Brad Branson

In 1992, Branson was chosen as the photographer of the official Vivienne Westwood portraits and worked with other top fashion designers including John Galliano, Thierry Mugler, Katherine Hamnett, Jasper Conran, and Stephen Jones as well as an impressive list of models including “the Trinity”; Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, and Christy Turlington.

After Branson’s untimely death from cancer, his sister gathered the many large cartons of his work that he had left in the care of a friend in Britain for almost two decades and began the lengthy and tedious process restoring, cataloging and archiving the thousands of negatives and prints.

About Photo Independent Photo Independent is an annual photography art fair held in Hollywood that provides a forum for direct exchange of ideas and contacts between photographers, collectors and art professionals. Photo Independent provides potential exhibitors with the unique opportunity to present their work to global decision makers — curators, galleries, collectors, editors and publishers — who seek to acquire, publish and commission the best photographic talent today.

Photo Independent is the sister show to Fabrik Expo, and both shows are produced by Fabrik Media, Inc., an LA-based multifaceted creative and marketing agency that supports artists and their mediums.