Today is a tribute to artist Robert Risko, above, who is a STAR IN A BLACK TURTLENECK himself. I have always loved this portrait he did of me below, even adding these glasses later once I needed them myself.
And he did this other portrait with many of my Vanity Fair cover subjects floating about my head for a feature I did for Elevate magazine.
To have “a Risko” done of you is a right of passage for media figures. I was deeply grateful to have mine done by him and also touched since we are longtime colleagues. He inspires and moves me on a personal level as well as a professional one. He is a mensch as well as a master.
That first portrait of me was something he conjured for The Risko Book, a remarkable compilation of his portraits for which Graydon Carter wrote the Introduction and I conducted an interview with him to open it. That’s it below with his now legendary portrait of J. Edgar Hoover on the cover. You can buy it by clicking here.
So here’s to you, Robert. We began our careers together at Interview and both moved on to Vanity Fair. You are a star and have brought me joy - not only in your work, but in your friendship.
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