POST IS UPDATED, NOTE THE ASTERISKED PART
TOP, L to R: #1, #2 BOTTOM, L to R: #3, #4
(No reposting without permission. Originals are sharp and in focus.)
This is my 4,000th post. I've been blogging for about three and a half years already and yet I still feel like a newbie. For this post, I'm offering something for sale, which is unusual since I've spent the last 1,200+ days giving things away here for free, but it's still an offer in that I haven't posted these anywhere else yet.
I own an incredible archive of original Madonna portraits by Richard Corman, a gifted and well-known shooter who had access to her in the earliest part of her career because his mother Cis is Barbra Streisand's producing partner. She told him, "You've got to shoot this girl—she's going to be a star," so he did. And, soon after, she was.
Richard shot Madonna in her apartment and on the roof, he shot her on the streets of the Lower East Side and he would go on to do rarely seen studio shoots of her for Per Lei Magazine and of her and the cast of Desperately Seeking Susan. He also shot Madonna with her best friend and roommate, the late Martin Burgoyne.
The images:
#1 shows Madonna posing as a modern-day Cinderella as part of a test shoot for an updated movie version of the story that Cis Corman hoped to get Barbra Streisand interested in. Imagine Madonna as an Alphabet City Cinderella with Streisand calling the shots? This image is special to me. I own a unique, oversized print that watches me do all my work. I sincerely think it's more beautiful than most of Madonna's most iconic early-years images, and had Richard commercialized it, it would be as familiar to us as the True Blue cover.
#2 is one of my favorites of all of Richard's work for its textures and Madonna's completely unique mood in the photo.
#3 is a uniquely vulnerable image of Madonna in her first New York apartment. When Richard arrived to shoot her, she was looking down at him as he made his way up the stairs and he told me he was immediately transfixed by her cat eyes.
#4 shows Madonna in her apartment looking like an Italian statue—again, I really feel Richard captured so many expressions that were not stock expressions that Madonna would repeat throughout her career. When he was done shooting her that first time, she gave him a tape to listen to. He popped it in when he got home and was blown away by the unreleased tracks. He called her right up and said, "Hey, you're really good," and she said, "I know."
With Richard's cooperation, I am making available the above four digital, archival prints in limited editions of 25, all signed and numbered by Richard Corman. The photographs were originally shot square and I'm going to preserve that by keeping the sizes 12"X12" images on 13"X19" paper. The price is $750/print or $2,500 if you buy all four. Prints of this nature are usually offered at higher rates (and early, uncommon Madonna is quite desirable), but I feel good about this price point.
**SHIPPING:
+$50 FOR USA SHIPPING, 1-4 PRINTS
+$60 FOR CANADIAN SHIPPING, 1-4 PRINTS
+$100 FOR ALL OTHER NON-USA SHIPPING, 1-4 PRINTS
I'm using indestructible, pro-quality mailers and insuring. If I spend less than the stated amount on shipping, I will refund the difference.
I will not be extending this edition, nor will I come back to these images once they're sold out, making them—in my opinion—a sound investment as well as absolutely lovely pieces of art.
**I am no longer reserving prints. Instead, e-mail me at matthewrettenmund@gmail.com to check on availability, then I will immediately issue you a PayPal invoice or you can arrange to pay by check or money order.
If only money grew on trees!! What a fabulous offering!!
Let me ponder: culinary school or a fab Corman print?
I guess it is true, life isn't fair!
Those are GORGEOUS, Matthew!!
Posted by: Trub | March 14, 2009 at 11:39 PM
Oh God!! I would die to own one of those prints. I need to beat myself up now for being a not-enough-money-having loser. Those really are good prices; whoever is able to buy one will be a fortunate person indeed.
Posted by: Katie | March 15, 2009 at 01:20 AM
CONGRATS ON YOUR MILESTONE...HERE'S TO 4,000 MORE...
Posted by: thegaytekeeper | March 15, 2009 at 12:45 PM
Love these! never seen b4. i have a storefront in chicago named after her: borderline MUSIC - would love to help you sell these. i can post in store and in all bags. -- we have the largest madonna collection anywhere. let me know - would love to do a trade/discount to help you. let me know -- contact me through the websight
Posted by: scott | March 15, 2009 at 02:15 PM
wow i would so love to own one of these prints.. i would love all four prints but money is a little tight at mo! what with madonna being on the road again this summer..
yes ive seen these prints before along with many others.. there lovely i must say..
i would deffo like to buy one..
but im from the uk.. in england england and wonder how i can pay.. i have not got paypal..
xx
madonna fane since 1983..
xx
Posted by: michelle | March 16, 2009 at 04:43 AM
Did Corman do the pretty-much unseen shot of Madonna with a bunch of street kids and a boom box? He had it up for sale a few years back. I've always felt that need to be the cover of a box set.
Posted by: xolondon | March 16, 2009 at 02:45 PM
Thanks for all the comments.
Xolondon: Yes, he did. There is an even better one of just her with the boombox that I might do later on. Plus a few of her with a street kid (she was a street "kid" herself!) that are very maternal. There are so many, but I wanted to keep them limited. As a collector myself, I appreciate the idea of making things special. (Otherwise, why do I knock myself out trying to buy an actual promo item when I could just make the same-looking thing on my own? I often wonder that.)
Posted by: Matthew Rettenmund | March 16, 2009 at 03:28 PM
What a treasure! These are beautiful. Why did Corman not cash in on these when he had the chance? It seems like everyone else who had the slightest contact with her in those pre-celebrity days did. I want one of these so bad.
Posted by: The Rural Modernist.com | March 19, 2009 at 10:45 AM
I wish I knew for sure, but Richard just told me he was very respectful of Madonna and has not wanted to use them without her permission. Perhaps in the early years, he might not have acted quickly enough and then they were "old," but certainly he could have sold these over the years to magazines. He really does respect her, which is nice.
Posted by: Matthew Rettenmund | March 19, 2009 at 12:26 PM
Those are some of the coolest pictures of Madonna I've ever seen. I'm not just saying that cuz I love her, but I have several, but these are really awesome! Peace-out!
Posted by: Erik | March 27, 2009 at 10:58 AM
i am in love with image 3 . im based in london.are there still prints available..?
Posted by: cormac.mr@gmail.com | March 30, 2009 at 02:06 PM
The portraits seem to be very rare yet original. Are these portraits of Madonna still there? I feel i am bit late....
Posted by: Adidas Sunglasses | April 05, 2009 at 01:59 PM
I liked the Image 2 more...
Posted by: Website Editor | April 11, 2009 at 03:23 PM