Name RJ Shaughnessy | Role Photographer | |
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Books Your Golden Opportunity is Comeing [sic] Very Soon | ||
Basic Letterman- Uptight N Reckless [prod. The Black Keys]
RJ Shaughnessy (b. Hollywood, Florida, 1979) is an American photographer, artist, film director and publisher.
Contents
- Basic Letterman Uptight N Reckless prod The Black Keys
- Early Life and education
- Advertising
- Personal life
- Books
- Exhibitions
- References
Early Life and education
Shaughnessy's grandfather Chuck Ax taught in the design department at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena in the 1950s. Growing up around Ax in Florida, RJ began to develop his discerning eye. Ax would later be the reason RJ attended Art Center.
When he was 18, Shaughnessy was out taking photos during a storm and was suddenly struck by lightning. While recovering in the hospital he immersed himself in photography books, which ultimately made it clear that would be his life's work.
While at Art Center, RJ studied with photographer Paul Jasmin, and his mentorship had a profound effect on RJ's point of view. Other early influences were Larry Clark, Corinne Day and Nan Goldin. In a 2011 interview with NBC, RJ describes meeting with Helmut Newton just before he died. RJ asked him for career advice to which Newton then replied, "Try to make everyone take their shirts off"
Shaughnessy’s first book, Deathcamp was shot while he was attending Art Center and is considered “a testament to a beautiful, if often bizarre, sense of humanity and community.” This authentic realism is what Shaughnessy is known best for today. Shaughnessy graduated from Art Center College of Design with a Bachelor of Fine Arts.
Advertising
Shaughnessy's work first garnered public attention in 2008 when he shot the Adidas Originals House Party campaign.
Since then, Shaughnessy has shot global campaigns for Uber, American Eagle, Nike Women, Vodafone, Bacardi, Virgin, Google, Capri Sun, Renault, Stussy, Adidas with David Beckham, Apple, Ray Ban, Sony PlayStation, Target, Microsoft, Levi's, Nike and Clint Eastwood for Chrysler with Wieden + Kennedy. He has also shot for Magazines such as Dazed & Confused, The Fader, Spin, Vice & Self Service, as well as musicians such as Lil Wayne and Odd Future.
Shaughnessy's most recent book, Stay Cool is a quintessential story of summertime and youth in Los Angeles. As the foreword of the book states, "This is the story of youth, where it comes from, why it's here and how quickly it escapes us if we aren't paying attention".
Personal life
Shaughnessy has lived and worked in Los Angeles since 2000. In 2009, he signed with Los Angeles agency, Giant Artists