Location: New Zealand
Lisa Powers was born in the south of France. Her lineage is French/ Italian from her mother’s side and American from her father’s. The family moved to New York when she was ten years old.
She began learning photography when she quit her day-job as proof-reader in a small advertising agency for a job as the cleaner/janitor in a large commercial photo studio. Her ambition was to become a professional freelance commercial photographer, and she learned by watching the studio photographers shoot in the daytime, then shooting for herself with models at night. She learned more by artistic experimentation than technical correctness, since she had no technical knowledge. This was in the film era, before digital cameras.
For the next thirty years she was one of the few women working successfully in commercial photography, an industry which was/still is largely male-dominated.
Then she did the "BIG SCARY" thing… She sold what she could, packed what could be shipped, and relocated to New Zealand. It took a while for the dust to settle but when it did she took her photography in a new direction: Fine Art.
She now defines herself as a professional Photographic Artist. And she’s also shifted from calling herself “a New York photographer in New Zealand” to “a New Zealand photographer from New York”. It makes a difference.
"I don’t capture pictures, I create them from nothing… not as one would perceive them in reality but as imagined images. To do this, I build from an idea. Choosing the right model to direct is crucial. I am completely self-taught and perhaps because of that, I am fearless. I love mixing analogue film elements with digital effects. Sometimes I print an image and re-photograph the print with filters on my lens for added effects. Experimentation is my motivation."
-Lisa Powers
I created a series of photographs representing my interpretation of WanRong, in hopes of giving her the recognition she never received in life.
WanRong’s story:
The last Empress of China was the beautiful and American-educated WanRong who was selected (against her will) to marry Emperor PuYi when she was just 16. PuYi selected his bride from photographs of eligible young girls. The photographs that were presented to PuYi were not of fine quality and he chose a girl who was inappropriate for his wife as she was only 12 years old. PuYi’s family then selected WanRong for him and they married. His original choice, the 12-year-old girl, became his concubine. WanRong was trapped between her sophisticated modern Western education which she embraced, and the confinement of Chinese Imperialist culture in the Forbidden City. After only a couple of years of marriage, PuYi and WanRong were forced out of the Forbidden City by the Japanese invasion of China and installed as Emperor and Empress of the Japanese puppet state, Manchukuo in Manchuria. WanRong had no love for her husband PuYi and had affairs with his aides. She even gave birth to a daughter but the whereabouts of this child are unknown. It's clear that WanRong was not permitted to raise her baby girl as PuYi was enraged at her infidelity. There were rumours that PuYi killed the child, and rumours that the child was given away. WanRong was in such despair that she started using opium as a sedative. In 1945 (around the end of WWII) the Soviets invaded Manchuria, where Manchukuo was located. PuYi fled for his life leaving his wife behind. As as a result, she was captured by the Chinese Communist guards. She lived in different internment camps and eventually died of opium withdrawal and malnutrition in prison in 1946 at age 39. Three years later, when PuYi was told of her death, he couldn't have cared less.
To this day, her remains were never found. She vanished completely.
I hope to honour her in these photographs.
This series was inspired by vintage images of the actress, Greta Garbo. The model was the beautiful Claudia Carter, photographed in my studio in New Zealand.
Claudia in dress by Trelise Cooper
My homage to Gustav Klimt and the Vienna Secessionists.
The Vienna Secession was founded on 3 April 1897 by artists Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele and others.
The group's exhibition policy was notable for providing the first dedicated space for contemporary art in the city, with the express aim of making contacts with international art movements and campaigning against nationalism in art.
Inspired by Gustav Klimt's "Portrait of Adele Bloch Bauer" which had been stolen by the Nazis and recently returned to the family.
I've been honoured to photograph several outstanding individuals over my long career as a commercial photographer, and here are a few:
The GREAT Dudley Moore with his inamorata Brogan Lane...
The amazing New Zealand dancer, choreographer, writer and poet, Douglas Wright.
Super-model with the mile-long legs: L'Wren Scott...also talented stylist and fashion designer.
Photographed for "la Femme Nikita"
La femme Nikita
Madonna in Top Hat
Author Michael Crichton Jurassic Park photo shoot for New York Times.
Photographed at Zoetrope Studios
“WanRong: The Last Empress of China”
“The Chinese Painted Mirror”
“The Forbidden Stitch”
“Chinese Imperial Yellow”
“Empress with Fan”
“Empress with 2 Chairs”
“Imperial Jade Earrings”
“Seller of Caged Birds”
“Empress in the Snow”
“Empress in Profile”
“The Empress ”
“Empress in Silver”
“Claudia in Betsey Johnson Dress”
“"Oh, I Like That!"”
“The Beehive”
“Bauhaus Beehive”
“Claudia in the Mirror”
“The Painted Veil”
“Claudia Reflections”
“Woman in Gold”
“Elle as She Was”
“Sacred Spring”
“Reclining Woman”
“Re-Made with Light”
“Woman with Cello”
“Odélie from Gold to Rust”
“Sitting for Egon Schiele”
“The Golden Storm”
“Portrait of Rohé”
“Demi Moore”
“Dudley Moore & Brogan Lane”
“Dudley Moore & Brogan Lane”
“Dudley Moore & Brogan Lane”
“Douglas Wright”
“Sax player, Darren H.”
“Henry Fonda”
“L'Wren Scott”
“Anne Parillaud”
“Anne Parillaud”
“Madonna”
“Michael Crichton”
“Nastassja Kinski”
“Nick Nolte”
“Olivier Bertrand”
“Dancer Peter Pucci”
“Dancer Peter Pucci”
“Sky Nellor”
“Sky Nellor”
“Tracee Ellis Ross”
“Tracee Ellis Ross”
“Winona Ryder”
