Gus Van Sant

One Step Big Shot: Portraits and Short Films by Gus Van Sant

One Step Big Shot investigates portraiture in the work of Gus Van Sant, one of cinema’s most influential directors. Van Sant is known for his poetic vision and for his ability to bring about authentic and unforgettable performances from his actors, regardless if they are Hollywood stars, such as Nicole Kidman and Sean Pean, or teenage actors.

The title of the exhibition, One Step Big Shot, references the quick and direct act of picture-making via the use of Polaroid cameras and films. Drawn from hundreds of original Polaroid photographs by Van Sant, with a selection of short films, this exhibition pivots on the act and artifact of portraiture. The portraits, selected from hundreds taken for casting those films, exemplify Van Sant’s considerable talents, and also provoke a discussion about representation.

Born in 1952 in Louiseville, Kentucky, Van Sant began his career in underground circles, but soon made himself a name as a director that could easily steer both independent films with poetic vision, such as Drugstore Cowboy and Last Days, as well as bigger productions like Good Will Hunting and Milk, without loosing his personal style. In addition, Van Sant is an acknowledged photographer and has published the book 108 Portraits that depict the same disconnected and misunderstood youths that inhabit his films. In connection with One Step Big Shot, Van Sant has published his second title by the same name.

This year, Gus Van Sant is the recipient of the 21st Stockholm International Film Festival’s Stockholm Visionary Award. In collaboration with Stockholm Film Festival and the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, Fotografiska is proud to premiere the photography of Gus Van Sant in Sweden.

Curated by Lawrence Fong, Curator of American and Regional Art
Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, University of Oregon

Short Films:

Discipline of DE (Doing Easy), 1978
DVD edition, original 16mm film, black and white, 9 minutes
Adaptation of William S. Burroughs’ short story, narrated by Ken Shapiro

Thanksgiving Prayer, 1990
DVD edition, original 16mm film, black and white, 2 minutes, 20 seconds
Original poem by Williams S. Burroughs, narrated by William S. Burroughs

The Ballad of the Skeletons, 1996
DVD edition, original 16mm film, black and white, 4 minutes
Adaptation of Allen Ginsberg’s poem, narrated by Allen Ginsberg, music by Paul McCartney, Philip Glass, and Lenny Kaye

The exhibition is presented in collaboration with: