Peter Beard

Photographer, collector, diarist, and writer of books Peter Beard has fashioned his life into a work of art; the illustrated diaries he kept from a young age evolved into a serious career as an artist and earned him a central position in the international art world. He was painted by Francis Bacon, painted on by Salvador Dali, and made diaries with Andy Warhol; he toured with Truman Capot e and the Rolling Stones, created books with Jacqueline Onassis and Mick Jagger, all of whom are brought to life, literally and figuratively, in his work. Two volumes in a cloth slipcase: Volume 1 (PB1): 200 pages of diaries and 294 pages of collages + 5 fold-out; original essay by photo critic Owen Edwards. Nearly all the diaries and collages from the original book are included, plus two new collages finished in 2007. Volume 2 (PB2): personal photos and early work of the artist, interview with the artist by Steven M. L. Aronson, a facsimile reprint of Beard's 1993 handwritten essay.

The text is in Spanish and is accompanied by an English booklet.

Photographer, collector, diarist, and author Peter Beard has fashioned his life into a work of art. A two-volume slipcased compilation highlights his most important collages and hundreds of smaller-scale works and diaries magnified to show every detail from his meticulous handwriting to stones, bones and bits of animals pasted to the page.

Edwards has written about photography for 30 years, for the American Photographer, New York Times Magazine, New York magazine, The Village Voice, Saturday Review, Vogue, Smithsonian magazin, and many other publications.

Aronson, a former book publisher, is a writer and editor. He edited and published Peter Beard's book, "Longing for Darkness," and wrote the T.V. special "The End of the Game." He is the author of HYPE and the co-author of "Savage Grace."

Nejma Beard has been Peter Beard's agent and the director of the Peter Beard Studio since 2001. Since then she has curated and co-curated shows in Paris, London, Milan, and Los Angeles.

David Fahey is a Fine Art Photography dealer in Los Angeles representing Herb Ritts, Steve Shapiro, William Claxton and others.

Born in New York City in 1938, Peter Beard began taking photographs and keeping diaries from early childhood. By the time he graduated from Yale University, he had developed a keen interest in Africa. Throughout the 1960s and '70s he worked in Tsavo Park, the Aberdares, and Lake Rudolf in Kenyas's northern frontier. His first show came in 1975 at the Blum Helman Gallery, and was followed in 1977 by the landmark installation of elephant carcasses, burned diaries, taxidermy, African artifacts, books and personal memorabilia at New York's International Center for Photography. In addition to creating original artwork, Beard has also worked as a Vogue photographer and collaborated on projects with Andy Warhol, Andrew Wyeth, Richard Linder, Terry Southern, Truman Capote, and Francis Bacon. In 1996, shortly after Bear was trampled by an elephant, his first major retrospective took place at the Centre National de la Photographie in Paris, France, followed by shows in Berlin, London, Milan, Stockholm, Tokyo, and Vienna, among others. He lives in New York City, Long Island, and Kenya with his wife, Nejma, and daughter, Zara.

Ansel is an award-winning art director known for her innovative design at many of America's top fashion and cultural magazines since the 1960s. Ansel Design Studio (est. 1992) has produced international fashion campaigns and books with photographers including Peter Beard, Richard Avedon, and Annie Leibovitz.