Unexpected BEAUTY

A new exhibition and book show why Danish-born photographer Mare Hom is destined for greatness

-  JARED PAUL STERN

They're all beauties in various ways-Angelina Jolie, Lupita Nyong'o, Sienna Miller, Gwyneth Paltrow, Amy Winehouse, Anne Hathaway, Milla Jovovich and Taylor Swift. Together, they span decades of pop culture, often bridging different eras; but what else do they have in common? All have caught the eye--and lens-of famed Danish photographer Marc Hom, who specializes in "capturing our favorite celebrities in a vulnerable light, highlighting their personality and attitude." There's plenty of the latter on display in a new exhibition and accompanying book of Hom's most iconic images from the past 30 years. The impressive show was staged at the Fenimore Art Museum in upstate New York, overlooking Otsego Lake and near to a house Hom owns. It "offers visitors a new way to experience photography in an ever-changing environment," as many of Hom's larger-than-life portraits-11 feet tall-are weatherproofed and mounted on the museum's sweeping lawn in Cooperstown.

The perfect venue for Hom, who has always followed his own path, and who conceived the unorthodox display method. The book, "Re-Framed," from German luxury and art publisher teNeues, is both companion piece to the exhibition and retrospective, including all the portraits displayed at the Fenimore along with the story of the show's development, providing "documentary-style" insights into Hom's process.