World-renowned photographer David Armstrong passed away this morning (October 26th, 2014) at the age of 60 in Los Angeles, CA.
Hailing from just outside Boston, Armstrong studied painting at the Boston Museum School before moving to New York City with teenage-friend, legendary photographer Nan Goldin.
First receiving critical acclaim for his sensual portraits of men, Armstrong began working with Elisabeth Sussman, curator of photographs at the Whitney Museum in composing a retrospective on Goldin. After acquiring a number of photographs from David for the Whitney permanent collection, he was subsequently featured in the 1994 Whitney Museum biennial.
Armstrong has worked from his brownstone in Brooklyn since 2000, a haven for him and the title of his 2011 artbook release “615 Jefferson Avenue,” showcasing a collection of portraits of male models taken within a 10-year span.
While fashion was not initially a focus for Armstrong, he found a fan in Hedi Slimane who invited him to shoot backstage at Dior Homme of which Slimane was then creative-director. Since then his work has appeared in print media: o32c magazine, 10 magazines, CR Fashion Book, Another Man, Vogue Hommes, Purple, Wonderland amongst many more not including commissions from some of fashion’s biggest brands such as Burberry, Barbara Bui, & Ermenegildo Zegna.