Marti Friedlander's Portraits of Artists

Marti Friedlander: Portraits of The Artists

Don Driver in his studio New Plymouth 1978

Fleur Adcock London 1981.

James K. Baxter 1967.

Louise Henderson Auckland 1972

Louise Henderson Auckland 1972 2

Juliet Peter and Roy Cowan Wellington 1966.

Michael and Dene Illingworth Coromandel c. 1977.

Ralph Hotere

Ralph Hotere Dunedin 1977.

Merata Mita Auckland 1985.

Rita Angus Wellington 1969.

Philip Clairmont Auckland 1978.

Tim and Neil Finn musicians 2003.

Robin White Auckland 1968.

Toss Woollaston artist c. 1978.

Wilf Wright Wellington 1966.

Portraiture is one of the trickiest artforms - to get beyond the surface of a face into the soul.

Photographer Marti Friedlander was an expert, and many of her black and white images - especially of other artists and writers - are often seen in publications even now.

Dr Leonard Bell, art historian and writer, has taken on the job of bringing more than 250 of Marti's photographs - the well known and the never before seen - together in one book.  It's called Portraits of Artists. 

There's an exhibition at the New Zealand Portrait Gallery in Wellington to accompany the book.

Leonard tells Lynn Freeman he's written about Marti Friedlander before and knew her work well.

Marti Friedlander Portraits of the Artists is published by Auckland University Press.