Jessica Lange’s Thing for Clowns: Behind an Actress’ Passion for Photography

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Long before Jessica Lange signed on for American Horror Story, she was curating her own collection of Freak Show-like imagery—as a photographer. The two-time Oscar-winning actress has been snapping photos most of her life.

While her art and photography education was cut short when she dropped out of the University of Minnesota in 1967, the famed actress returned to the craft in the early 1990s when her longtime partner Sam Shepard gifted her a Leica M6 and the mother of three began capturing life at home as a way to document their lives. Soon, she was packing the tool for trips around the world.

Now, over 150 images from her personal collection are going on display for her latest solo exhibition, “Unseen,” at the Arts Santa Mònica Center in Barcelona. “Jessica sees photography as a kind of introspection,” Anne Morin, the exhibition curator, told The Daily Beast. “It’s a moment she’s alone and she can walk in the street where it seems like nothing is happening or in banal situations that could be very boring. But she always finds something very strange—unseen things—which are to disappear.” Swipe through our gallery for a preview of the show.

Jessica Lange