Words by David: It is rare that we release a picture in colour some time after the monochrome version is unveiled, and it is our preferred practice not to do this. But on this occasion we believe that the colour version of this image stands up on its own and it offers something extra. The warm hue evokes a sense of desert heat that lends to the narrative of extreme isolation, whilst the burgundy colouring on the Ferrari is showcased. It works and as soon as I saw it, I knew we had to release it. Of course, the original image has proved very popular - it is our best selling image over the last 2 years.
David Yarrow, Ferrari II (colour), Photograph, 52 x 54 in (Today's Edition: 4) or 71 x 74 in (Today's Edition: 3)
Shot on the stretch of Route 66 near Amboy, California, Ferrari II, features a 1953 Ferrari 250 MM Vignale Spider and Brazilian model, Daniela Braga.
The goal of the mid-50's styled shoot was to play on the American Dream. David encouraged Daniela to exude a sense of positivity and to "look as Nat King Cole suggested, that she was 'Getting her Kicks on Route 66."
All black and white editions of Ferrari II are sold or allocated. Contact the gallery for availability.
David Yarrow, The Girl With The Feathered Hat (colour), Photograph, 44 x 92 in (Today's Edition: 3) or 53 x 118 in (Today's Edition: 2)
Words by David: When this 1958 Testarossa arrived on set on the Arizona/Utah border, I was struck by its curvaceous beauty. Our initial leaning was to shoot head on and we did exactly that, but when I saw the car in profile, its length and ground hugging architecture was visually arresting. I knew that I had to play on this and where better to do this than in Monument Valley - John Ford’s favourite playground? He kept returning here as he knew he had found a topographic stage without equal. In his own words “it afforded him an extra character for free." John Ford was a stickler for horizons and camera angles. Anyone who watched the Fabelmans, specifically the last scene, will know what I am getting at.
I am a lucky man. To be filming with this car, in this most grand of settings, with the female powerhouse that is Brooks Nader, is like getting the first, second and third at the Kentucky Derby. When I set the shot up, I wanted to glorify the length of the car and the vista behind stirred the alchemy that gave us this celebration of life on earth. It is a beautiful world. Ferrari gets it, John Ford got it and I am learning all the time.
David Yarrow, 1992, Photograph, 71 x 99 inches (Today's Edition: 1 AP)
In 2021, Cindy Crawford and David Yarrow returned to the original location of her iconic 1992 Pepsi advertisement to recreate the image for a good cause: to raise funds for the American Family Children’s Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin, where the model’s brother was previously treated for Leukemia. Over the course of the first weekend the photo was released, Crawford and Yarrow raised $1.1m to support AFCH.
Words by David: Joe Pytka’s 1992 Pepsi Ad with Cindy Crawford is iconic; indeed, it is probably one of the most celebrated commercials of all time. So much so, that there have been many retakes and parodies. As we all know, it featured a 26-year-old Crawford pulling up to the Halfway Café in a red sports car wearing a white tank top and jean shorts. Two young boys stare as the supermodel buys a Pepsi from a vending machine and drinks it down.
For some time I had yearned to do my own interpretation of the advert with a still photograph and I secured Cindy’s involvement, who in turn secured Pepsi’s approval (given the implicit tribute, why would Pepsi say “no”?). The Halfway House has not changed at all from 1992 and neither really has Cindy. The rest of the props were easy to replicate.
The issue was the two boys who were never in the same frame as Cindy in the advert and would be even harder to acknowledge or incorporate into one photograph whilst maintaining the narrative. The idea I went along with was to use wolves instead - that way I could introduce a new angle without losing the integrity of the adaptation. Why wolves? Well it is a metaphor for all the men who have wanted to be at that gas station the next time Cindy Crawford turned up to fill up with gas, or indeed buy a soft drink. I wanted them to be looking keenly towards Cindy and the only way that could work in my set was to have them approaching her from behind. Since the roof was down in the car, it made total sense for them to have stealthily sneaked into the back seats whilst she went about her business. There is the necessary hunger and yearning in their disposition.
Cindy looks fabulous and makes the image which we all agreed had to be in colour. I must make mention of Peter Savic - the legendary hair stylist who worked with Cindy on the original commercial. How lucky am I that 29 years later he came back to the Halfway House for the reunion and styled Cindy’s hair again?
David Yarrow, Get The Fxxx Off My Boat, Photograph, 52 x 67 in (Today's Edition: 2 AP) or 71 x 94 in (Today's Edition: 8)
Words by David: My first collaboration with the real Wolf of Wall Street - Jordan Belfort - in the autumn of 2019, resulted in the coveted image -The Wolves of Wall Street. That photograph has now sold out and I was honoured that both Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese signed a copy which sold for $200,000 at Art Miami at the end of that year.
It was always our intention to do a sequel, but Covid put paid to that in 2020. However, the delay gave me time to consider various options for the story line and fine tune logistics. The unanimous choice for round two was to shoot the boat scene with the FBI agents. For many it is the most memorable scene in the whole movie and of course there is intense competition for that top spot.
... We had an opportunity to shoot our sequel off the coast of Marina del Rey in Los Angeles. I had so much more light to play with than in the dealing room shot and my instinct was to be bold in the amount of content I could include in one frame. Indeed, I had to work on the basis that the one frame had to tell the full story, otherwise the job would not have been done properly. This is one of the challenges of still photography...
About 6.45pm out on the open sea, all the constituent parts came together and I think everyone involved should be proud of the role they played in creating the parody. I would contend that if any one of the constituents of the photograph was removed, the picture would be materially lessened. It needed the giant lobsters; the spray of the champagne; the FBI; the helicopter; both wolves and even the girl on the top deck. Luckily they were all on board - this was not a day to have after thoughts.
They say that the best pictures can be looked at for a long time. Well here we go. My thanks to everyone involved but especially Jordan Belfort, Kate Bock, Josie Canseco and FBI agents Bradley Thomas and Kether Parker.