American film legend and extremely cool guy, Dennis Hopper, passed away at his California home this past Saturday, from complications of prostate cancer. He was 74 years old.
Known for his portrayal of off-beat, sometimes drug-induced, sometimes deranged characters in such iconic films as "Easy Rider," (which he directed), "Apocalypse Now," "Blue Velvet," and "Speed," among many others,
Hopper was considered a Hollywood rebel, whose popularity lasted generation after generation of film goers, and most recently continued in the television series "Crash" based on the film of the same name. Hopper began his career in "Johnny Guitar" (1954), followed by "Rebel Without A Cause" (1955), "Giant" (1956) and "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" (1957).
Hopper studied at the Actors Studio with other luminaries, including Marlon Brando, Paul Newman and Marilyn Monroe. "Easy Rider" won an award at the Cannes Film Festival for the best movie by a new director, and it earned co-writers Hopper, Peter Fonda and Terry Southern an Oscar nomination.
Hopper was a prolific photographer, painter, and sculptor. His photography is known for portraits from the 1960s. His painting style ranges from abstract impressionism to photorealism and often includes references to his cinematic work and to other artists.
Ostracized by the Hollywood film studios due to his reputation for being a "difficult" actor, Hopper eventually turned to photography in the 1960s with a camera bought for him by his first wife, Brooke Hayward. During this period he created the cover art for the Ike & Tina Turner single River Deep – Mountain High (released in 1966).
Hopper became a prolific photographer, and noted writer Terry Southern profiled Hopper in Better Homes and Gardens magazine as an up and coming photographer "to watch" in the mid 1960s.
He began working as a painter and a poet as well as a collector of art in the 1960s as well, particularly Pop Art. One of the first art works Hopper owned was an early print of Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans bought for $75.
In March, 2010, it was announced that Hopper was on the "short list" for Jeffrey Deitch's inaugural show at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA).
In April, Deitch confirmed that Hopper's work, curated by Julian Schnabel, will indeed be the focus of his debut at MOCA.
In May 2010, it was announced that Hopper will be the subject of an upcoming biography by American writer Tom Folsom, Hopper: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream. The subtitle is a direct reference to the Hunter S. Thompson book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
A well known and highly respected art collector, painter and photographer, a retrospective of Hopper's work is scheduled to open at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art in July, entitled "Art Is Life." The exhibition will include abstract expressionist paintings, pop art collages, graffiti-inspired oils and portrait photographs. Hopper had been made a commander of France's National Order of Arts and Letters, and recently received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in late March.
Married five times, Hopper is survived by four children.
Courtesy, Eileen Casey
