📚 Book Review: Inner Light - Chris Levine on Portraiture, Meditation & Photographing the Queen

On this week’s episode of All About Art, I’m reviewing one of the most beautiful and meditative art books I’ve encountered: Inner Light by Chris Levine. This stunning monograph chronicles Levine’s most iconic portrait work, from Queen Elizabeth II and Kate Moss to Grace Jones and the Dalai Lama, and offers rare insight into his deeply spiritual creative process. I explore how Levine strips away the distractions of fashion and styling to capture something much deeper: the inner essence, the stillness, the light within his subjects. From the story of how he picked out the Queen’s outfit for their shoot (!!!), to photographing the Dalai Lama at a Heathrow hotel while in rehab, the book is full of intimate, behind-the-scenes moments that reveal both the artist’s vulnerability and his vision.

Excitingly, I also share an exclusive interview with Chris himself, where we discuss his relationship to art history, how his practice extends far beyond portraiture into experimental technology and meditation, and what it’s like to overcome imposter syndrome at career-defining moments (I also ask the cheeky question of whether he had to sign an NDA when photographing Banksy).

Thank you Chris for coming on the podcast!

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ABOUT THE HOST:

I am an Austrian-American art historian, curator, and writer. I obtained my BA in History of Art at University College London and my MA in Arts Administration and Cultural Policy at Goldsmiths, University of London. My specializations are in contemporary art and the contemporary art market along with accessibility, engagement, and the demystification of the professional art sector.

Here are links to my social media, feel free to reach out:

• Instagram⁠ @alexandrasteinacker ⁠

• Twitter ⁠@alex_steinacker⁠

• and LinkedIn at ⁠Alexandra Steinacker-Clark⁠

This episode is produced at Synergy https://synergy.tech/the-clubhouse/the-podcast-studio/

COVER ART: Lisa Schrofner a.k.a Liser⁠ ⁠⁠www.liser-art.com⁠ and Luca Laurence www.lucalaurence.com