JEFF BRIDGES | PICTURES
In the Main Gallery on October 22, 2022 through April 30, 2023.
JEFF BRIDGES | PICTURES, an exhibition exploring the work of the Oscar-winning actor, author and acclaimed photographer.
Academy Award-winning actor Jeff Bridges is a giant of American cinema, with dozens of leading credits to his name, but he is also a renowned photographer whose work has been published in numerous books and exhibitions. For more than 30 years, Bridges has captured the creative world of moviemaking through scenes shot on a variety of film sets using his specialized Widelux F8 panoramic camera. The result is a fascinating, surprisingly candid body of photographic work offering a vision of Hollywood that is both intimately human and formally beautiful.
The exhibition spotlights Bridges’ artistic process and photographic techniques, informed by a collection of his private “film shoot” books, proof sheets and camera, plus quotes from Bridges himself, providing insight into the exceptional work of this multifaceted, talented artist. For this exhibition, these wide format photographs have been enlarged to allow the visitor to fully appreciate the vast scope and meticulous detail of these “movies within a movie,” providing behind the scenes access to the process of filmmaking, as well as evidencing the potential of the widelux format in the hands of a skilled photographer.
Bridges’ collection of film set photographs began as a personal project. He recorded the arduous, emotionally intense, evanescent work of the film shoot in books that were privately printed and given as gifts to cast and crew. These are not traditional “Hollywood” pictures, but rather—despite the costumes and lighting, the crowds of extras, the stardom of the subjects—pictures of friends at work. Taken together, the pictures act as Bridges’ personal and professional diary, with actors, directors, and crew appearing as coworkers, all equal participants in the job at hand.
“We are thrilled that our first joint photography exhibit is in Yountville at the Napa Valley Museum. Although we live and work primarily in Southern California, Northern California is a special place to our family. Jeff’s dad, Lloyd Bridges, was from Petaluma in Sonoma County, and we have family who live in the San Francisco Bay Area. We enjoy our frequent visits to the Napa Valley.” – Jeff Bridges & Susan Bridges
Jeff Bridges is the author of Jeff Bridges: Pictures, Volumes One and Two. Bridges’ proceeds from the books are donated to the Motion Picture & Television Fund, a non-profit organization that offers charitable care and support to film-industry workers. He is also illustrator of the book Daddy Daughter Day, written by Isabelle Bridges-Boesch and Illustrated by Jeff Bridges, and co-author of The Dude and the Zen Master. Copies of these books are available in the Museum Store.
Museum Admission:
Members: entry is Free
Non-Member Adults (18 to under 65): $15
Non-Members Seniors (65+): $10
Youth (6–17): $5.00
Children (5 and under): Free
Residents of the California Veterans Home and Active Duty Military: Free
This special exhibition is NOT included with NARMS membership, but members are welcome to visit our Spotlight & History Gallery exhibits. This exhibit IS included as part of the Museums On Us program through BofA/Merrill Lynch.
Photo Credits:
Jeff Bridges, Pooch, and Lois Smith, A Dog Year, 2009, © Jeff Bridges, 2009. All Rights Reserved.
Jeff Bridges & Widelux © Sam Jones.
Jeff Bridges was the recipient of the 2013 International Center for Photography’s Infinity Award as well as the 2022 American Society of Cinematographers Board of Governor’s Award. A video tribute to his achievements as a photographer are below, courtesy of and © MediaStorm:
Support for this exhibition was provided by Bank of America, by grants from the NVTID-Yountville and the Napa County Board of Supervisors, and by the trustees, members and supporters of the Napa Valley Museum Yountville.
