Mars, known for his vibrant depictions of American pop culture, has built a career on reimagining the visual history of mid-20th-century icons through collage, paint, and vintage materials. His work often reflects on the glamorous allure of the past while commenting on contemporary culture. With this collaboration, Mars taps into Bernstein’s vast archives of celebrity photography, incorporating his famous portraits into layered, textured compositions that create a dialogue between the image and its historical context. Together, they breathe new life into the iconic personas of stars like Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, and Audrey Hepburn.
Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, Farrah Fawcett, Joan Collins.
Images © Robert Mars and Gary Bernstein
Bernstein, whose career spans decades as a photographer of Hollywood’s elite, brings an unparalleled intimacy to these images, having worked directly with many of the subjects featured in the limited editions. His work, which has graced the covers of countless magazines and been the subject of numerous exhibitions, captures the essence of his subjects with a level of authenticity and depth that few others have achieved. By collaborating with Mars, Bernstein’s photography is transformed into vibrant, larger-than-life artworks that maintain their original glamour while gaining new layers of artistic expression.
This collaboration represents more than just a merging of two artistic mediums; it is a celebration of Hollywood's golden age through the lens of two creative visionaries. Limited to just a few editions, these works are expected to become highly sought-after collector’s items, offering art enthusiasts and pop culture aficionados alike a rare opportunity to own a piece of cinematic history reimagined. The unveiling of these new editions underscores the continued fascination with classic Hollywood while also highlighting the power of collaboration between artists from different disciplines.
Represented by galleries worldwide, coveted by collectors, Mars is known for his collaged art pieces depicting mid-century stars from Elvis, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe and Jackie Kennedy to Muhammad Ali, artistically rendered with neon lighting and shiny coats of resin on wood panels.
Born in New Jersey, graphic designer Mars studied at the Parsons School of Design and draws on imagery from vintage magazines, combined with transfers, boldly painted colors and distressed, timeworn surfaces in several built-up layers a' la Rauschenberg and Andy Warhol. Mars' work combines the appeal of legendary celebrities with cultural product icons from Chanel to Dior to Champion Spark Plugs.
Mars has produced commissions for diverse clients from Coca-Cola to The New York Mets to Neiman Marcus.
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With a degree in Architecture from Penn State, Bernstein has photographed more than 200 celebrities—from Jay Leno and David Bowie to Sophia Loren and Bruce Jenner. The UK magazine, Woman's Own, labeled Bernstein "the most sought-after celebrity photographer in the world."
People Magazine, Esquire, Harper's Bazaar and Architectural Digest—and corporations like American Express, Revlon and Cartier—have hired Bernstein for decades to create photography for editorial, advertising, TV, and movies.
Legendary publicist Alan Nierob (the Global CEO for Rogers and Cowan/PMK—who has worked with Gary Bernstein since the 70's) wrote "There's a good reason why Bernstein shoots the biggest stars in the world. Just look at his work."
The BERNSTEIN X MARS art pieces will not be released to galleries; rather interested collectors and designers should contact either the Mars or Bernstein studios directly for purchase information.
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