Joan Root was born in Nairobi on January 18, 1936.
She was a shy young woman that had this ability to connect to animals. Joan was married to a film-maker by the name of Alan Root. They created many wildlife films together.
The couple introduced Diana Fossey to the gorillas. One of their Survival documentaries "Mysterious Castles of Clay" which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary. The Roots divorced in 1981.
Joan Roots last years was subject to harassment and threats. on January 13,2006 in her home in Lake Naivasha by four men which came to her door carrying AK-47's. People are still questioning who's responsible for the murder which remains unanswered. Joan dreamed of having a bright future for Kenya.
Im currently reading Joan Roots book "Wildflower" Author: Mark Seal.
Nick Brandt was born and raised in London. He attended school to study film and painting at St. Martins School of Art. Brandt started his photography career in September 200 in East Africa. Brandt's first book of photographs,"On This Earth". Which was published in October 2005.
In his book "On This Earth" he explains his methods he uses. Nick is interested in showing the animals in their environment. He explains that the world is under a serious threat, all of which was caused by us. Brandt believes every creature, human or nonhuman, has an equal right to live. Nick Brandt captures the beautiful world that is slowly vanishing before our eyes.
Annie Leibovitz was born on October 2, 1949 in Westbury, Connecticut. Annie was one out of six children. After she briefly lived on a Isreali Kibbutz, Annie returned back to the U.S. Annie decided to move to the San Francisco Bay area in 1967. She got together with a bunch of friends and rented an apartment. Her room was the "closet". Annie went to San Francisco Art Institute as a painting major and was going to become an art teacher. Leibovitz learned very early on that you cant become an art teacher until you become an artist. The following summer she took a photography workshop. She loved the processes. As Leibovitz said in a interview it "clicked" with me. she laughs.
In 1970 Annie's boyfriend at the time drove her to the front door of the Rolling Stones magazine and basically pushed her in. Very impressed with Leibovitz's portfolio, editor Jann Wenner offered her a job as a staff photographer. Within two years Annie was promoted to chief photographer. At the time Rolling Stones was all runned by people her age or a little bit older. There was nothing super professional. They were working for what they believed in, experimenting with their art and everything they did. Annie had so much imagination. she was collaborating with people who shaked her world and influenced her because she was such a big music fan. In 1966-67 was the birth of San Francisco rock scene.
John Lennon had never given a big interview about how it was like to be in the Beatles. Annie begged to be apart of it and to go along and shoot it. She took this stunning and powerful portrait of Lennon. back at Rolling Stones they were dead set on the photograph to be the cover shot.
Annie had been working for Rolling Stones for almost 13 Years and was asked to be the photographer for Vanity Fair. Annie made the leap to come to Vanity Fair. The change took her work into a more main stream area. Leibovitz is still working for Vanity Fair and continues to take beautiful photographs.
" It is not a question of who dances but of who or what does not dance" - Ruth St. Denis
Ruth St. Denis was a dancer from New Jersey. Born in Jan 20, 1877. In 1898 the young dancer was noticed by David Belasco a very well known broad way producer and director. He hired her to perform with his company and tour around the United States and Europe. She was given the the stage name "St. Denis".
St. Denis' imagination and artistic side was wonderful. In 1904 she saw a poster of the goddess Isis in an ad for Egyptian Deities cigarettes. The image triggered her imagination and created a solo dance called "Radha" Telling a story of a mortal maid who was loved by the god Krishna. In 1905 St. Denis' career as a solo artist took off. After years of traveling St. Denis returned back to the US in 1909 and married Ted shawn in 1914. Next they founded the Denishawn dance school and company in Los Angeles. In 1940 St. Denis resumed her performing in 1940 with her appearance at the Jacob's Pillow dance festival which was founded in 1933 by Ted Shawn. Later in Ruth's life she formed a church, St. Denis Religious Art Church. Her mission was the realization of the Divine through the Arts.
St. Denis was active up until the 1960's. She was often called the " First Lady of American Dance" and the "Queen of American Dance". St. Denis has been compare to the contemporary Isadora Duncan, these two artists were very different. St. Denis was inspired by cultures, religion of Egypt, India, and East Asia. Ruth St. Denis passed on July 21, 1968.
