Celebrity Skin
When asked about Richard Bernstein, Andy Warhol said, "...Richard's faces are wonderful. They're so colorful and he makes everybody look so famous."
If you were down with Tay Ham you can see why I am drawn to his style. I love bright colors. I love portraits. His Interview Magazine paintings are personal favorites. Hyper realistic characters dipped in fantasy.
This was the OG filter. Warhol was right, who doesn't look iconic under his lens? Smooth, soft, saturated faces staring right at you with mostly playful "in your dreams" looks. (I see you Bette.)
Bernstein was able to add this lactoderm (a.k.a milk skin) like effect. He laid it on thick without masking. It enhanced the source material. It brought the internal richness to the top. Bernstein allowed his subjects to maintain their own original texture and personality—something today's familiar faces should take note of.
Life in HD has bred a homogenized product. Glass skin. Fragile and translucent. No depth and easy to crack. Presenting as a fresh and newly improved version, but void of substance needed to be a true legend.
Bernstein wasn't just painting faces; he was immortalizing icons.