Mark Hanauer is an American photographer known for his iconic portraits of the culture's foremost figures. Chief photographer for A&M Records from 1977-1979, Hanauer went on to document the counter-culture and music scene in the decades following. His images of Andy Warhol, The Clash, Charles Bukowski, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder, and Muhammad Ali—among many others—appeared in Rolling Stone, Esquire, New York Magazine, and the Los Angeles Times, and are imprinted on the public imagination. His work is held in the permanent collections of the Deutsche Guggenheim Museum and the Library of Congress, and in private collections throughout the United States. He lives in Santa Monica, California. @markhanauer
All photos by Mark Hanauer
You were born and raised in Los Angeles. Reflecting on your childhood there, how did it mold your approach to art? LA is mostly a temporary city, like a movie set. So many buildings have been replaced with whatever will maximize their financial potential at the moment.
I enjoyed being near where they made movies and wanted to be a part of that. I started photographing musicians when I was 17, Hollywood celebrities in my mid-20s, and then everybody. It was good soil for me to grow up in, and it's a nice place to take off from and explore. And the light...
When did you first fall in love with art and realize you wanted to be an artist? For you, what is the importance of the arts? An epiphany in my high school darkroom, watching my second assignment appear in the developing tray. I never looked back from that moment.
Art is the universal language.
What does your typical day in the studio look like? Walk us through your studio and your most used materials and tools. No day is typical. I had studios for years, but I now work out of my home. I may have an assignment to do, or a personal photo shoot, or I may be at the computer processing images, etc.
I have been using two new cameras that I am very happy with, a Leica Q3 and a Leica Q3 43. Other main tools are an Imacon scanner for my film archives and various Macintosh computers.
Could you share some details from your latest work? Ongoing project photographing the artist David Wiseman and his process. A monograph of my work, and another book that is very personal in nature—to be announced.
What do you hope your art will inspire in other people? I try to get people to stop, look, and think about what they are seeing, whether it's one of my portraits, a landscape, or a close-up of a flower. Design is important to me in my photographs, and my goal is to engage one's gaze and move it around the image, and hopefully tell a little abstract story within that moment.
If you could sit down with any artist from history or today, who would it be—and what would you ask them? Man Ray. Always inventive, he moved in every artistic direction, always original and moving and fun.
Django Reinhardt, Picasso, Lee Miller, Jean Cocteau. I loved that era. It was a colorful and unique period of art and entertainment. People were having fun. Their work never gets old and continues to feed me with inspiration. I love film noir, 30s to the early 50s.
Do you draw inspiration from music, art, or other disciplines? Anything can inspire me. I can listen to a piece of music and think about an image that I want to work on, or just get my mind into another place of openness. I'll remind myself to step back and be patient, or to play more, which I have to always keep reminding myself to do.
I love to look at other photographers' work.
How does the place you live nourish you as an artist? Great weather 95% of the time, great to walk, bike, and spend time outside. Not far from the ocean.
Can you describe a project that challenged you creatively or emotionally—and how you worked through it? Every time I pick up my camera, I feel like I am starting over and that I am not sure what I am doing. But once I get engaged, I go through an internal process of understanding, seeing, and completing the project - that is remarkably satisfying.
Tell us about important teachers/mentors/collaborators in your life. Warren Shelton, high school photography teacher. He took notice of my interest and talent and gave me excellent guidance.
David Alexander, a photographer whom I assisted for a few years in my 20s. He taught me a lot about solving problems and how to engage with subjects. He was a great communicator. Still a great friend.
Can you share a memory or reflection about the beauty and wonder of the natural world? Does being in nature inspire your art or your process? My last trip was to the Peak District of the UK. On my first morning wandering the landscape, I found a tree at the right moment of light, which gave me an image I had always dreamed of. Nature is everything.
What are your reflections about the relationship between art and AI today? It's the next tool and a powerful one. I cannot imagine it will help us make anything more inspiring than a Thelonius Monk composition.
Exploring ideas, art and the creative process connects me to… To myself and to others.
