Summer Holiday (Colour)
Summer Holiday
Archival Pigment Print
The Grand Hotel Parker’s in Napoli is the city’s oldest luxury hotel dating back to 1870. Its original owner succumbed to gambling issues and, in 1890, it was bought by a regular guest – a British marine biologist called George Parker. Presumably he rather liked the view of the ocean.
Certainly, as hotel views go, Parker’s takes some beating from its balcony floor. There is a perfect outlook to the city, Vesuvius and the Bay of Naples and then, as one’s head turns clockwise to 2 pm, there, in all its splendour, amidst the azure sea, is the fabled island of Capri. We have all seen many contextual photographs of this storied summer paradise, but I had not seen one taken from the mainland at this elevation. I spotted an opportunity.
Alessandra Ambrosio is one of the leading supermodels of her generation and she took to this role at Parker’s with the playful ease that is her hallmark. I thought it would be fun to have her eat pasta. Afterall, we were where we were.
The chefs at Parker’s are lauded and they can make 5-star spaghetti alle vongole blindfold and drunk. That prop was never going to be a challenge. I just needed to find some compositional balance in the frame and a sunbed to complement Capri away in the distance.
This region of Italy is a very special part of the world. The topography, the islands, the sea, the food, the people and the culture combine to offer the perfect holiday. To not find it totally intoxicating suggests a lack of some sort of sensibility, either that, or an allergy to pasta and boats. It is the perfect summer holiday.
Available sizes
Large: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 56” x 82” in (142.2 cm x 208.3 cm)
- Framed Image: 71” x 97” in (180.3 cm x 246.4 cm)
Standard: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 37” x 54” in (93.98 cm x 137.2 cm)
- Framed Image: 52” x 69” in (132.1 cm x 175.3 cm)
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your masterpiece. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Asmus Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
Summer Holiday
Summer Holiday
Archival Pigment Print
The Grand Hotel Parker’s in Napoli is the city’s oldest luxury hotel dating back to 1870. Its original owner succumbed to gambling issues and, in 1890, it was bought by a regular guest – a British marine biologist called George Parker. Presumably he rather liked the view of the ocean.
Certainly, as hotel views go, Parker’s takes some beating from its balcony floor. There is a perfect outlook to the city, Vesuvius and the Bay of Naples and then, as one’s head turns clockwise to 2 pm, there, in all its splendour, amidst the azure sea, is the fabled island of Capri. We have all seen many contextual photographs of this storied summer paradise, but I had not seen one taken from the mainland at this elevation. I spotted an opportunity.
Alessandra Ambrosio is one of the leading supermodels of her generation and she took to this role at Parker’s with the playful ease that is her hallmark. I thought it would be fun to have her eat pasta. Afterall, we were where we were.
The chefs at Parker’s are lauded and they can make 5-star spaghetti alle vongole blindfold and drunk. That prop was never going to be a challenge. I just needed to find some compositional balance in the frame and a sunbed to complement Capri away in the distance.
This region of Italy is a very special part of the world. The topography, the islands, the sea, the food, the people and the culture combine to offer the perfect holiday. To not find it totally intoxicating suggests a lack of some sort of sensibility, either that, or an allergy to pasta and boats. It is the perfect summer holiday.
Available sizes
Large: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 56” x 82” in (142.2 cm x 208.3 cm)
- Framed Image: 71” x 97” in (180.3 cm x 246.4 cm)
Standard: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 37” x 54” in (93.98 cm x 137.2 cm)
- Framed Image: 52” x 69” in (132.1 cm x 175.3 cm)
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your masterpiece. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Asmus Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
The Lodge at Vail
Vail, Colorado – 2024
“The Lodge at Vail was the first proper hotel to operate in a resort that arrived at the Colorado ski party exceptionally late. The first stones of Vail were laid in 1962 making it the new kid on the block versus other Colorado ski towns such as Aspen, Breckenridge, or Steamboat Springs, which existed as 19th century mining towns prior to the establishment of their ski resorts.
To begin with, the hotel was a “white elephant”, losing $100,000 every year until the faux Bavarian town matured into something of substance. But to borrow from Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams, “If you build it, he will come” and sure enough they came. The Lodge at Vail became the epicentre of a town that enjoyed growing popularity because of its abundant skiing and ease of travel.
The facade of the hotel has not changed much for several decades and I thought I could use that as a backdrop, in much the same way we did at Badrutt’s Palace in St Moritz, Switzerland in 2023. That photograph – which lent on the glamour of the 1970s in the resort – was hugely popular. There was an element of James Bond to it coupled with intense femininity.
The formula worked and so this became the prompt for my shot outside the Lodge. After all, Vail became a place to be seen fairly quickly and by the mid 70s it was in vogue. Bohemian glamour was as prevalent in Colorado as it was in the Swiss Alps, maybe even more so.
Who better, therefore, than Alessandra Ambrosio – the Brazilian supermodel – to play the lead in this narrative. She has such presence and authority and is a joy to work with.
We would also like to thank Austin Akers for the use of the beautiful 1956 Mercedes Benz 300 SL Gullwing”. – David Yarrow
AVAILABLE SIZES:
LARGE: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 56" x 71” in (142.2 cm x 180.3 cm)
- Framed Image: 71" x 86” in (180.3 cm x 218.4 cm)
STANDARD: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 37” x 47” in (93.98 cm x 119.4 cm)
- Framed Image: 52” x 62” (132.1 cm x 157.5 cm)
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your masterpiece. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Asmus Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
The Minturn Saloon
Minturn, Colorado – 2024
“The railroad and mining community of Minturn – which dates to the 1880s – allows for some raw grit to saddle up to the shiny neighbouring resort town of Vail. The contrast between the two places is astonishingly stark, given that they are only three miles apart. Whilst Vail was styled by architects and designers on Alpine Bavaria, Minturn was styled by grizzly prospectors looking only as far as the next day.
Vail was built 80 years after Minturn and when the contractors finished a day’s shift, they would head west to the Minturn Saloon. It was the place to go and 60 years on, despite some remodeling and ownership changes, it remains exactly that. All those who know Vail, know the Minturn Saloon. Rather like the Woody Creek Tavern in Aspen, it has fostered a strong patronage over the years and when the doors open at 3pm, the bar fills at a speed to suggest that this is a special and loved destination. As always it is the people that make the places and this bar attracts a rich variety of clientele.
Part of the saloon’s appeal was that it was directly accessible by skis, by car, by foot and by horse and it therefore became something of a vortex at the end of the day. By the 1970s, the Minturn not only attracted cowboys, builders and miners, but the new bohemian hipster crowd from over the hill.
I am always drawn to the visual contrasts afforded to a filmmaker when a wild frontier destination is fused with glamour. This was the premise for this story. I saw a chance to play with the cold winter light that day and the result works pleasingly well in colour.
Alessandra Ambrosio is one of the leading models in the world and it was a pleasure to work with her. She certainly killed her look and showed why she is at the top of her game. We would also like to thank Austin Akers for the use of the beautiful 1956 Mercedes Benz 300 SL Gullwing.” – David Yarrow
AVAILABLE SIZES:
LARGE: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 56" x 71” in (142.2 cm x 180.3 cm)
- Framed Image: 71" x 86” in (180.3 cm x 218.4 cm)
STANDARD: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 37” x 47” in (93.98 cm x 119.4 cm)
- Framed Image: 52” x 62” (132.1 cm x 157.5 cm)
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your masterpiece. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Asmus Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
Code Red
Minturn, Colorado – 2024
“The railroad and mining community of Minturn – which dates to the 1880s – allows for some raw grit to saddle up to the shiny neighbouring resort town of Vail. The contrast between the two places is astonishingly stark, given that they are only three miles apart. Whilst Vail was styled by architects and designers on Alpine Bavaria, Minturn was styled by grizzly prospectors looking only as far as the next day.
Vail was built 80 years after Minturn and when the contractors finished a day’s shift, they would head west to the Minturn Saloon. It was the place to go and 60 years on, despite some remodeling and ownership changes, it remains exactly that. All those who know Vail, know the Minturn Saloon. Rather like the Woody Creek Tavern in Aspen, it has fostered a strong patronage over the years and when the doors open at 3pm, the bar fills at a speed to suggest that this is a special and loved destination. As always it is the people that make the places and this bar attracts a rich variety of clientele.
Part of the saloon’s appeal was that it was directly accessible by skis, by car, by foot and by horse and it therefore became something of a vortex at the end of the day. By the 1970s, the Minturn not only attracted cowboys, builders and miners, but the new bohemian hipster crowd from over the hill.
I am always drawn to the visual contrasts afforded to a filmmaker when a wild frontier destination is fused with glamour. This was the premise for this story. I saw a chance to play with the cold winter light that day and the result works pleasingly well in colour.
Alessandra Ambrosio is one of the leading models in the world and it was a pleasure to work with her. She certainly killed her look and showed why she is at the top of her game. We would also like to thank Austin Akers for the use of the beautiful 1956 Mercedes Benz 300 SL Gullwing.” – David Yarrow
AVAILABLE SIZES:
LARGE: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 56" x 70” in (142.2 cm x 177.8 cm)
- Framed Image: 71" x 85” in (180.3 cm x 215.9 cm)
STANDARD: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 37” x 47” in (93.98 cm x 119.4 cm)
- Framed Image: 52” x 62” (132.1 cm x 157.5 cm)
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your masterpiece. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Asmus Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
Russian Roulette
Crested Butte, Colorado – 2024
“The most authentic old saloons of the Wild West should still evoke a sense of unease in any first-time visitor. Even if it is only fleeting; the vibe should be territorial and uncompromising. All eyes are on the visitor and those eyes are menacing and judgemental. Of course, these days, it is all for show and friendships are soon made, but there is an overriding sense that bad things did once happen here. It would be very disappointing to enter a frontier bar to learn that nothing immoral had ever occurred under its roof.
The lore of the American West would suggest that in the olden days, bars were loosely governed and behaviour was unpredictable. Life was cheap, and entering a bar at the wrong time could be a fatal mistake. It was Russian Roulette and the default position was to be armed and wary.
This tableaux is a giddy ode to these saloon bars dotted around frontier towns in the Wild West. It was taken in Kochevar’s Saloon, in the old mining town of Crested Butte, Colorado. The walls of Kochevar’s – which include a century old roulette table – are a rich museum to the American west. If those walls could talk, they would no doubt tell many a story of character rich women, gambling feuds, drunken outlaws and cowboy capitalists. It was a place singularly characterised by the disposable moral fibre of its clientele.
It was such fun to do this shoot and I thank Brazilian supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio for playing the saloon girl with good energy: despite the nearby presence of a 1000lb bison”. – David Yarrow
AVAILABLE SIZES:
LARGE: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 56" x 76” in (142.2 cm x 193 cm)
- Framed Image: 71" x 91” in (180.3 cm x 231.1 cm)
STANDARD: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 37” x 50” in (93.98 cm x 127 cm)
- Framed Image: 52” x 65” (132.1 cm x 165.1 cm)
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your masterpiece. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Asmus Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
Kochevars, Crested Butte
Crested Butte, Colorado – 2024
“Nestling in at 9000 ft and with only one road out in the winter, the former coal mining town of Crested Butte in Gunnison County, Colorado is not mainstream. But what it lacks in accessibility, it makes up aesthetically. It is an amphitheatre of pristine, uncluttered grandeur that reminds me somewhat of the Dolomites in Italy. This is one hell of a location and well worth the trip.
It is only 18 miles, as the crow flies, from Aspen, but by road in winter it is a 202-mile journey. Such is the nature of the topography in Colorado. I think it is rather appropriate that there is such a distance in winter between the most famous ski resort in the world and the small community that is now dubbed “The last great Colorado ski town” because they couldn’t be more different. At the last census, only 1700 people claimed Crested Butte as home, but it is a known known destination.
What both places have in common, however, is a mining past and with that goes dive bars that have stood the test of time. In Crested Butte, the infamous watering hole is Kochevar’s, established by Jacob Kochevar back in 1886. He seemed an interesting man with a keen eye for what his customers were looking for – women.
In its early life it was transformed from a brothel to a bowling alley, to a bar. Not many bars can lay claim to that level of adaptability at such an early stage in their history.
But perhaps the bar is most famous for housing Butch Cassidy and the Wall Gang. Butch left his gun, which is now displayed proudly inside the saloon. No better place, therefore, to bring my bunch of morally impaired misfits.
We did, however, acknowledge that the joint had history with femininity and what fun it was to bring one of the world’s most celebrated supermodels – Alessandra Ambrosio – to the bar at the end of the road”. – David Yarrow
AVAILABLE SIZES:
LARGE: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 56" x 88” in (142.2 cm x 223.5 cm)
- Framed Image: 71" x 103” in (180.3 cm x 261.6 cm)
STANDARD: Edition of 12 + 3 AP
- Image Size: 37” x 59” in (93.98 cm x 149.9 cm)
- Framed Image: 52” x 74” (132.1 cm x 188 cm)
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your masterpiece. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Asmus Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
Don’t Worry Darling
DON’T WORRY DARLING
Palm Springs, California – 2023
“The desert resort of Palm Springs – nestling in the Coachella Valley of California – is not just a town, it is seen by some as a metaphor for how to live life. Its mere name evokes imagery of “desert modern” architecture, Slim Aarons pool parties, retro styling and endless vapid leisure. Hollywood found a sister location in this resort and was drawn to its shared values of celebrity, health, new wealth, and sex.
Palm Springs is the antithesis of the industrial “rust belt” of America and became a haven for those wanting to escape from their past or to enjoy a better life because of their past. It is no surprise perhaps that much of the Chicago mob money from the 1970s found its way down to Palm Springs.
My idea was to take a single frame encapsulating this hot and colourful utopia. But there was no room to be earnest, I simply wanted to be long of parody, colour and symbolism. Too much wealth, leisure time and shopping can bring vacuous traits.
Like film makers before me, I homed in on 1950s styling as I sensed that this was the era that defined the
post war growth of the resort. I had the Ferrari and the police cars and from the first day of scouting in Palm Springs, we knew our street location and we knew our timing of roughly one hour after sunrise.
Our lead was the celebrated Alessandra Ambrosia – the super smart Brazilian model who can play any role ascribed to her. She “killed it” that morning and makes the image. Who knows who is being arrested in the background, but it doesn’t look like it’s particularly interfering with her morning.
This photograph is deliberately saturated in colour to evoke the gauzy, saccharine pleasures of the town. Is it really paradise or is it a parody of itself?”
AVAILABLE SIZES:
LARGE - Edition of 20 + 3 AP:
- Framed: 56” x 84” in (142.2 cm x 213.4 cm)
- Framed: 71” x 99” in (180.3 cm x 251.5 cm)
STANDARD - Edition of 12 + 3 AP:
- Image Size: 60” x 56” in (152.4 cm x 142.2 cm)
- Framed Size: 75” x 71" in (190.5 cm x 180.3 cm)
STANDARD - Edition of 12 + 3 AP:
- Image Size: 40” x 37” in (101.6 cm x 93.98 cm)
- Framed Size: 55” x 52" in (139.7 cm x 132.1 cm)
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your masterpiece. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Asmus Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
Cloud Nine
Aspen, Colorado, USA – 2022
Sitting proudly at 11,000 ft up in the sky, Cloud 9 is the infamous Aspen mountain bar/restaurant that hosts riotous parties during the winter season. The ski run down the hill is often complicated by the amount of alcohol consumed before revelers are reunited with their skis.
Aspen is Shangri-La to both seasoned visitors and residents and Cloud 9, with its dramatic location and reputation for glamour and excess, is a part of the jigsaw making Aspen the most famous Ski resort in the world.
My plan was to film up at Cloud 9 and style it in 1970s clothing as a nod to a period when Aspen really established its reputation as a bohemian paradise for the chic and the celebrated.
I booked two great girls – Brooks Nader – a high energy, live-wire who has worked with me over the last couple of years and then the wonderful Brazilian – Alessandra Ambrosio – the queen of fashion shows and modelling for the last 15 years. She is a joy to work with and has a fun and unassuming disposition despite her fame. There are few models working today that are as loved and respected as Alessandra.
The only problem was that we needed to shoot early in the day before the slopes opened and the day was fixed. We woke up to a blizzard and freezing temperatures.
I think adaptation and flexibility are core to what we do. Perhaps my middle name should be changed to “PLAN B”. I saw the snow as an opportunity not a threat and worked the conditions into the narrative. It was the right call.
All those familiar with Cloud 9 will, I think, smile when they see this photograph. Alessandra was magnificent, as I knew she would be.
AVAILABLE SIZES:
LARGE: Edition of 12
- Image Size: 56” x 96” in (142.24 cm x 243.84 cm)
- Framed Image: 71” x 111” in (180.34 cm x 281.94 cm)
STANDARD: Edition of 12
- Image Size: 37” x 64” in (93.98 cm x 162.56 cm)
- Framed Image: 52” x 79” in (132.08 cm x 200.66 cm)
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your masterpiece. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Asmus Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.
Aspen, Baby
Aspen, Colorado, USA – 2022
Sometimes, when working with a global star such as Alessandra Ambrosio, my inclination is to lean on simplicity and not worry about being too expansive in the wider narrative. She is the main event, not the snapper behind the lens, and the photograph should look out, not in. There are moments to show deep deference to those with whom you have the fortune to work and those are often my favourite moments.
That morning, high up at 11,000 feet at Aspen’s legendary Cloud Nine, we had to deal with an 8am blizzard. But from 5 am wake up call, I saw the falling snow as an opportunity not a threat. Meanwhile, Alessandra had been brilliantly styled in 1970s ski clothing and looked sensational although I knew she would be feeling the cold. This was not her natural habitat, but she is very smart and able to play to a prescribed role even though Cloud Nine in the winter is a long way from her home beaches in Brazil.
The simple portrait is of a beautiful girl. She happens to be at a famous place high in the Rockies in a snowstorm. Her clothing is a nod to Aspen’s coming of age in the 1970s. I don’t think we need anything more to grab and hold attention; there is a clear vibe. Aspen baby.
AVAILABLE SIZES:
LARGE: Edition of 12
- Image Size: 61” x 56” in (154.94 cm x 142.24 cm)
- Framed Image: 76” x 71” in (193.04 cm x 180.34 cm)
STANDARD: Edition of 12
- Image Size: 40” x 37” in (101.6 cm x 93.98 cm)
- Framed Image: 55” x 52" in (139.7 cm x 132.08 cm)
We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your masterpiece. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Asmus Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.