Focus on UK Scientific Heritage at the National Portrait Gallery
Scientists are no longer unrecognisable boffins thanks to a display entitled "Science in Focus" running until 17 January 2010 at The National Portrait Gallery.
Michael Green (pictured), pioneer of string theory and this month succeeding Professor Stephen Hawking as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics, Cambridge University, is one of eleven British scientists photographed by Somerset-based professional photographers Anita Corbin and John O'Grady whose colour portrait is on display in London for the first time.
Anita Corbin of Corbin O'Grady Studio in Wellington, explains, "The colour portraits were taken in 1989 for the series "Science in Profile" commissioned by The British Council. The pictures were taken by my partner John O'Grady and me over a three month period. There were 24 in total and the resulting set of portraits was exhibited in the early nineties all over the world but never in Britain. The large colour prints will form part of the photographic archive of significant Britons at The National Portrait Gallery and are currently on display at the Gallery.
Ludmilla Jordanova, National Portrait Gallery Trustee retiring in November, said of the pictures, ""The photographers have given careful thought to the visual idioms that are most appropriate for their subjects. In making their choices about angles, poses and settings, the photographers are providing everyone who sees these works with ideas that can prompt them to ask questions about science today"
Ludmilla continues, "As well as being interesting for the general public, the pictures are of educational interest to school parties visiting the Gallery, depicting the scientists as real people rather than names on a page or computer screen."
Anita and John, of Corbin O'Grady Studio, have been working together since 1984 and moved their business from London to Wellington in 2001.
Corbin O'Grady Studio specialises in making people look good! Commissions range from portraiture using complicated lighting set ups to lifestyle photography under natural light. The Studio also has years of experience in carrying out photography assignments at schools and colleges and specialises in producing material for prospectuses and other educational literature.
They also excel in the production of images of top business people for annual reports having worked for blue chip organisations such as ICI plc and Boots plc. And, as the portraits of the British scientists reveal, they are also experts at shooting editorial portraits.
