Stunning Polaroids of Hollywood’s Rising Stars Taken by Gus Van Sant From the 1980s and 1990s ~ Vintage Everyday

January 8, 2025

Stunning Polaroids of Hollywood’s Rising Stars Taken by Gus Van Sant From the 1980s and 1990s

January 08, 2025 1980s, 1990s, celebrity & famous people, movies, photography, portraits

Between 1983 and 1999, filmmaker Gus Van Sant captured Polaroid photographs of numerous actors, many of whom were on the cusp of stardom. These candid images served as a casting tool and offer a unique glimpse into the early days of Hollywood’s rising talents.

Van Sant used a refurbished Polaroid camera he acquired in the mid-1970s, which produced both a small print and a negative. This allowed him to create various prints from the negatives, a feature he found advantageous during casting sessions. He would photograph actors and musicians who visited his studio, developing the negatives in makeshift darkrooms, such as office building bathrooms, and hanging them up to dry with clothespins. This meticulous process not only aided in casting decisions but also resulted in a compelling collection of portraits.

The collection includes early images of actors like Keanu Reeves, Nicole Kidman, Matt Damon, and Drew Barrymore, among others. These photographs are reminiscent of Andy Warhol’s Screen Tests, capturing influential faces in a candid and unstaged manner. They provide insight into the actors’ early careers and Van Sant’s artistic process during that era.

In 2016, a selection of these Polaroids was published in the book Gus Van Sant: Icons, released by La Cinémathèque Française with Actes Sud. The book offers an opportunity to delve into Van Sant’s creative mind, featuring interviews, artworks, mood boards, scene diagrams, on-set photographs, and the Polaroid collection.

These Polaroids have been featured in various exhibitions and publications, providing a nostalgic look at Hollywood’s past and the individuals who would become some of its most prominent figures. They continue to be appreciated for their artistic value and as historical snapshots of a transformative period in the film industry.