Deborah Leigh Anderson (born 16 December 1970) is an English musician, photographer, and
film director
A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, ...
. Her early music work was as a vocalist on her father
Jon Anderson
John Roy Anderson (born 25 October 1944) is an English singer, songwriter and musician, best known as the lead singer of the progressive rock band Yes, which he formed in 1968 with bassist Chris Squire. He was a member of the band across thre ...
's albums. Her 1995 single " Feel the Sunshine" was her first song that charted, hitting the UK Dance and
European Hot 100
The European Hot 100 Singles was compiled by ''Billboard'' and ''Music & Media'' magazine from March 1984 until December 2010. The chart was based on national singles sales charts in 17 European countries: Austria, Belgium (two charts separately f ...
. She has also contributed vocals to a number of collaborative works with other recording artists. Her 2009 debut album ''Silence'' accompanied her photography book ''Paperthin'', a work featuring photos of actors and musicians.
Her photography work was featured on albums by singer
Pink
Pink is the color of a namesake flower that is a pale tint of red. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, politeness, ...
, and in ''
Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan may refer to:
Food and drink
* Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo"
History
* Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953
Hotels and resorts
* Cosmopoli ...
'', ''
Vogue
Vogue may refer to:
Business
* ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine
** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine
** ''Vogue China'', ...
'' and other magazines. Her second photo book, ''Room 23'', featured her pictures of celebrities in a collaboration with
Sanela Diana Jenkins
Sanela Diana Jenkins (born Sanela Dijana Ćatić; 1973) is an entrepreneur and philanthropist who was born and raised in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She currently resides in California. Jenkins fled her home country during the siege of Sarajevo and ...
. In 2013, Anderson made her directorial debut with '' Aroused'', a documentary film following the lives of 16 adult film actresses. ''Aroused'' was generally well received by critics, who note the film for the vulnerability of its subjects and compared Anderson's stylistic presentation to
Annie Leibovitz
Anna-Lou Leibovitz ( ; born October 2, 1949) is an American portrait photographer best known for her engaging portraits, particularly of celebrities, which often feature subjects in intimate settings and poses. Leibovitz's Polaroid photo of Jo ...
and
Michael Moore
Michael Francis Moore (born April 23, 1954) is an American filmmaker, author and left-wing activist. His works frequently address the topics of globalization and capitalism.
Moore won the 2002 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for ...
.
Early life and family
Deborah Anderson is the daughter of singer
Jon Anderson
John Roy Anderson (born 25 October 1944) is an English singer, songwriter and musician, best known as the lead singer of the progressive rock band Yes, which he formed in 1968 with bassist Chris Squire. He was a member of the band across thre ...
and Jennifer Anderson (née Baker), and sister to singer Jade Anderson. On the 1983
Jon & Vangelis
Jon and Vangelis was a music collaboration between British rock singer Jon Anderson (lead vocalist of the progressive rock band Yes) and Greek synthesiser musician Vangelis. The duo released four albums between 1980 and 1991.
History
In 1974, V ...
album, ''
Private Collection
A private collection is a privately owned collection of works (usually artworks) or valuable items. In a museum or art gallery context, the term signifies that a certain work is not owned by that institution, but is on loan from an individual ...
'', Jon wrote the lyrics and a song named after her titled "Deborah". Deborah's earliest musical work was on projects with her father: including backing vocals on "Song of Seven" in 1980, and on ''
Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe
Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe was an English progressive rock band active from 1988 to 1990 that comprised four past members of the English progressive rock band Yes. Singer Jon Anderson left Yes as he felt increasingly constrained by their ...
'' (1989), the 1993
Latin American
Latin Americans ( es, Latinoamericanos; pt, Latino-americanos; ) are the citizens of Latin American countries (or people with cultural, ancestral or national origins in Latin America). Latin American countries and their diasporas are multi-et ...
Jon Anderson solo tour, '' Deseo'' (1994), '' Angels Embrace'' (1995) and ''
Toltec
The Toltec culture () was a pre-Columbian Mesoamerican culture that ruled a state centered in Tula, Hidalgo, Mexico, during the Epiclassic and the early Post-Classic period of Mesoamerican chronology, reaching prominence from 950 to 1150 CE. Th ...
'' (1996). She was educated at
Roedean School
Roedean School is an independent day and boarding school founded in 1885 in Roedean Village on the outskirts of Brighton, East Sussex, England, and governed by Royal Charter. It is for girls aged 11 to 18. The campus is situated near the Sus ...
in Brighton. She also worked in vintage fashion, owning her own store.
Alex Reece
Alex Reece (born Alexander Reece, Barnet, England) is a drum and bass musician. He popularized the use of two-step breaks in drum and bass, and was an influence of the jazzstep sound, a mix of drum and bass and jazz. Reece was one of the mus ...
featuring Deborah Anderson (included on Reece's 1996 album ''So Far''). The
drum & bass
Drum and bass (also written as drum & bass or drum'n'bass and commonly abbreviated as D&B, DnB, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by fast breakbeats (typically 165–185 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-b ...
single made #2 in the
UK Dance Singles Chart
The UK Dance Singles Chart and the UK Dance Albums Chart are music charts compiled in the United Kingdom by the Official Charts Company from sales of songs in the dance music genre (e.g. house, trance, drum and bass, garage, synthpop) in record ...
in 1995, and #4 on the same chart the following year. It made the
Eurochart Hot 100
The European Hot 100 Singles was compiled by '' Billboard'' and ''Music & Media'' magazine from March 1984 until December 2010. The chart was based on national singles sales charts in 17 European countries: Austria, Belgium (two charts separately ...
in 1996. This led to Anderson signing to
Mo' Wax
Mo' Wax was a British record label founded by James Lavelle in 1992. The label was not co-founded by Tim Goldsworthy, as is often reported. Steve Finan became co-owner shortly after.
Mo' Wax came to recognition for being at the forefront of ...
and her debut solo single, "Lonely Without You", was released in 1997.
She has worked as a vocalist on a number of projects, including work with
DJ Krush
, better known by his stage name DJ Krush, is a record producer and DJ. He is known for his atmospheric instrumental production which incorporates sound elements from nature and extensive use of jazz and soul samples.
Early life
Ishi was born i ...
("Skin Against Skin" on 1997's ''Milight'', released on Mo' Wax; later used on the TV series '' La Femme Nikita''), Fallen Angels ("Blue Sky" on 1999's ''Part One''),
DJ Shadow
Joshua Paul Davis (born June 29, 1972), better known by his stage name DJ Shadow, is an American DJ, songwriter and record producer. His debut studio album, '' Endtroducing.....'' was released in 1996.
Biography Early years (1989–1995)
DJ Sh ...
,
Zero 7
Zero 7 are an English musical duo consisting of Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker. They began as studio engineers and in 1997 formed the group Zero 7. Their debut album, '' Simple Things'', was released in 2001 in which their song "Destiny" stayed ...
, Le Tonne and Tipper (2000s "Dissolve (Out)" single, released on Fuel Records). She appeared and co-wrote three songs on
Télépopmusik
Télépopmusik is a French electronic music trio, composed of Fabrice Dumont (bassist of the pop band Autour de Lucie), Stephan Haeri (also known as "2 square" for his solo projects), and Christophe Hetier (also known as "DJ Antipop").
Histor ...
's album ''
Angel Milk
''Angel Milk'' is the second album from French electronic group Télépopmusik, released on June 21, 2005. The album was met with mostly positive reviews from music critics, who praised the record's production and Angela McCluskey's guest voc ...
'' (
EMI
EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 2012, ...
Music, 2005), including the single " Into Everything".
Her debut solo album, ''Silence'', was released in 2009. The album accompanied ''Paperthin'', a
coffee table book
A coffee table book, also known as a cocktail table book, is an oversized, usually hard-covered book whose purpose is for display on a table intended for use in an area in which one entertains guests and from which it can serve to inspire conver ...
of her photography.
Photography and filmmaking
She served as art director for The Gansevoort Hotel group. Anderson contributed photography for
Pink
Pink is the color of a namesake flower that is a pale tint of red. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, politeness, ...
's albums: ''
I'm Not Dead
''I'm Not Dead'' is the fourth studio album by American singer and songwriter Pink. It was released on April 4, 2006, through LaFace Records. Following the commercial underperformance of her third studio album '' Try This'' (2003), Pink parted w ...
'', ''
Funhouse
A funhouse or fun house is an amusement facility found on amusement park and funfair midways and is where patrons encounter and interact with various devices designed to surprise, challenge, and amuse them. Unlike thrill rides or dark rides, f ...
Bebe Stores
Bebe Stores, Inc. (stylized in all lowercase) is a women's retail brand that was established in 1976. The brand develops and produces a line of women's apparel, accessories, and perfume fragrances, which it markets under the "bebe" or "Bebe Spor ...
. Anderson has had her images published in magazines including ''
Elle
''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the ...
Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan may refer to:
Food and drink
* Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo"
History
* Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953
Hotels and resorts
* Cosmopoli ...
'', ''
Architectural Digest
''Architectural Digest'' is an American monthly magazine founded in 1920. Its principal subjects are interior design and landscaping, rather than pure external architecture. The magazine is published by Condé Nast, which also publishes internat ...
'', ''
Hello
''Hello'' is a salutation or greeting in the English language. It is first attested in writing from 1826. Early uses
''Hello'', with that spelling, was used in publications in the U.S. as early as the 18 October 1826 edition of the '' Norwi ...
FHM
''FHM'' (For Him Magazine) is a British multinational men's lifestyle magazine that was published in several countries. Its master edition contained features such as the ''FHM'' 100 Sexiest Women in the World, which has featured models, actres ...
'', ''
Playboy
''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother.
K ...
'', ''
Vogue
Vogue may refer to:
Business
* ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine
** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine
** ''Vogue China'', ...
'' and '' Vanity Fair''. Based on her first photographic exhibition, "Hollywood Erotique" (Los Angeles, 2004), ''Paperthin'', published in 2008, is a book of her black-and-white photography based on 1930s
erotica
Erotica is literature or art that deals substantively with subject matter that is erotic, sexually stimulating or sexually arousing. Some critics regard pornography as a type of erotica, but many consider it to be different. Erotic art may use a ...
. Models include
Minnie Driver
Amelia Fiona Jessica "Minnie" Driver (born 31 January 1970) is an English actress. She rose to prominence with her break-out role in 1995's '' Circle of Friends''. She went on to star in a wide range of films including the cult classic '' Grosse ...
Pink
Pink is the color of a namesake flower that is a pale tint of red. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, politeness, ...
,
Natasha Henstridge
Natasha Tonya Henstridge (born August 15, 1974) is a Canadian actress and model. In 1995, she came to prominence with her debut role in the science-fiction thriller ''Species'', followed by performances in ''Species II'' and '' Species III''. She ...
,
Sophie Dahl
Sophie Dahl (born Sophie Holloway on 15 September 1977, later taking her mother's name for professional reasons) is an English author and former fashion model. Her first novel, ''The Man with the Dancing Eyes'', was published in 2003 followed b ...
and
Tilda Swinton
Katherine Matilda Swinton (born 5 November 1960) is a British actress. Known for her roles in independent films and blockbusters, she has received various accolades, including an Academy Award and a British Academy Film Award, in addition to ...
. The book accompanied her debut solo album ''Silence''. Anderson's second book of photography entitled ''Room 23'', published in February 2009, featured
Sharon Stone
Sharon Vonne Stone (born March 10, 1958) is an American actress. Known for primarily playing femme fatales and women of mystery on film and television, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1990s. She is the recipient of vario ...
,
George Clooney
George Timothy Clooney (born May 6, 1961) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by George Clooney, numerous accolades, including a British Academy Film Awards, British Academy Film A ...
,
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
,
Minnie Driver
Amelia Fiona Jessica "Minnie" Driver (born 31 January 1970) is an English actress. She rose to prominence with her break-out role in 1995's '' Circle of Friends''. She went on to star in a wide range of films including the cult classic '' Grosse ...
,
Dennis Hopper
Dennis Lee Hopper (May 17, 1936 – May 29, 2010) was an American actor, filmmaker and photographer. He attended the Actors Studio, made his first television appearance in 1954, and soon after appeared in '' Giant'' (1956). In the next ten year ...
,
Cindy Crawford
Cynthia Ann Crawford (born February 20, 1966) is an American model, actress and television personality. During the 1980s and 1990s, she was among the most popular supermodels and a ubiquitous presence on magazine covers, runways, as well as fash ...
,
Heidi Klum
Heidi Klum (; born 1 June 1973) is a German-American model, television host, producer, and businesswoman. She appeared on the cover of the '' Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue'' in 1998 and was the first German model to become a Victoria's Secr ...
,
Norman Reedus
Norman Mark Reedus (born January 6, 1969) is an American actor best known for starring as Daryl Dixon in the AMC horror drama series '' The Walking Dead'' (2010–2022). He also starred as Murphy MacManus in the film ''The Boondock Saints'' (1999 ...
,
Gina Gershon
Gina L. Gershon (born June 10, 1962) is an American actress. She has had roles in the films ''Cocktail'' (1988), ''Red Heat'' (1988), '' Showgirls'' (1995), '' Bound'' (1996), ''Face/Off'' (1997), '' The Insider'' (1999), '' Demonlover'' (2002) ...
,
Sting
Sting may refer to:
* Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger
* Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself
Fictional characters and entities
* Sting (Middle-ear ...
,
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Dee Lohan ( ; born July 2, 1986) is an American actress and singer. Born in New York City and raised on Long Island, Lohan was signed to Ford Models at the age of three. Having appeared as a regular on the television soap opera '' ...
,
Larry King
Larry King (born Lawrence Harvey Zeiger; November 19, 1933 – January 23, 2021) was an American television and radio host, whose awards included 2 Peabodys, an Emmy and 10 Cable ACE Awards. Over his career, he hosted over 50,000 interviews. ...
and others as models. The book was organised in conjunction with
Sanela Diana Jenkins
Sanela Diana Jenkins (born Sanela Dijana Ćatić; 1973) is an entrepreneur and philanthropist who was born and raised in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She currently resides in California. Jenkins fled her home country during the siege of Sarajevo and ...
to support the UCLA Sanela Diana Jenkins International Justice Clinic. Anderson was described by the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
'' as "a photographer whose distinctive sensuality is located somewhere between classic French erotica and
Helmut Newton
Helmut Newton (born Helmut Neustädter; 31 October 192023 January 2004) was a German-Australian photographer. The ''The New York Times, New York Times'' described him as a "prolific, widely imitated fashion photographer whose provocative, erotic ...
".
Anderson's first feature documentary film '' Aroused'' featured interviews with 16 female pornographic performers, and was released in cinemas in the U.S. in the summer of 2013 and internationally in January 2014. Sixteen actresses were involved:
Jesse Jane
Cindy Taylor (born July 16, 1980) is an American retired pornographic actress and model best known by her stage name Jesse Jane. She is the recipient of numerous awards and nominations over her career in the adult industry, including induction ...
Kayden Kross
Kayden Kross (born 1985) is an American pornographic actress and director. She is a member of the AVN and XRCO Halls of Fame.
Early life
Kross grew up in the foothills between Sacramento and Placerville. She has described herself as "the book ...
,
April O'Neil
April O'Neil is a fictional character from the '' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' comics. She is the first human ally of the Ninja Turtles. Her main love interest in the series is Casey Jones.
April made her first appearance in the Mirage comi ...
,
Francesca Lé
The AVN Awards, ''AVN'' (''Adult Video News'') Hall of Fame has honored people for their work in the Pornographic film, adult entertainment industry since 1995.Lisa Ann, Brooklyn Lee, Alexis Texas, Asphyxia Noir, Teagan Presley, Ash Hollywood, Tanya Tate, Lexi Belle and
Misty Stone
Misty Stone is an American pornographic actress and nude model. She was the '' Penthouse'' Pet of the Month for December 2014.
Career
She entered the adult film industry in 2006 at the age of around 20 and has appeared in over 300 movies. Acc ...
. ''Aroused'' accompanied a photography book of the same name. ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' compared the film's cinematic style to an advertisement for
Victoria's Secret
Victoria's Secret is an American lingerie, clothing, and beauty retailer known for high visibility marketing and branding, starting with a popular catalog and followed by an annual fashion show with supermodels dubbed Angels. As the largest r ...
, and wrote it would have been better as a television series similar to a combination of ''
Taxicab Confessions
''Taxicab Confessions'' is a television series of hidden camera documentaries that aired on HBO from 1995 through 2006.
When passengers enter the cab, they are recorded with several small cameras hidden in the taxi. The producer prompts passeng ...
'' and ''
Red Shoe Diaries
''Red Shoe Diaries'' is an American anthology erotic drama series that aired on Showtime cable network from 1992 to 1997 and distributed by Playboy Entertainment overseas. It is a spinoff of an earlier film by the same name, also directed by Za ...
''. Anderson was inspired to work on ''Aroused'', after previously photographing an adult industry actress for a magazine shoot. She wanted to draw attention to a
double standard
A double standard is the application of different sets of principles for situations that are, in principle, the same. It is often used to describe treatment whereby one group is given more latitude than another. A double standard arises when two ...
in society regarding consumption of pornography while simultaneously stigmatizing the actresses that perform in the adult industry. She stated her attempt was to humanize and provide dignity to the actresses. Anderson cast the actresses in the film in order to showcase, "the most successful women in the adult film industry". ''Aroused'' was compared by the ''
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...
'' to the documentary '' After Porn Ends'' with a more optimistic feel to it. ''
Screen Daily
''Screen International'' is a British film magazine covering the international film business. It is published by Media Business Insight, a British B2B media company.
The magazine is primarily aimed at those involved in the global film business. ...
'' and ''
BroadwayWorld
BroadwayWorld is a theatre news website based in New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , Ne ...
'' commented favorably on the vulnerability of the subjects. Film critics compared the documentary's style to
Michael Moore
Michael Francis Moore (born April 23, 1954) is an American filmmaker, author and left-wing activist. His works frequently address the topics of globalization and capitalism.
Moore won the 2002 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for ...
,
Annie Leibovitz
Anna-Lou Leibovitz ( ; born October 2, 1949) is an American portrait photographer best known for her engaging portraits, particularly of celebrities, which often feature subjects in intimate settings and poses. Leibovitz's Polaroid photo of Jo ...
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
'' was critical, writing that it was only recommended for fans of Alexis Texas, Katsuni and
Misty Stone
Misty Stone is an American pornographic actress and nude model. She was the '' Penthouse'' Pet of the Month for December 2014.
Career
She entered the adult film industry in 2006 at the age of around 20 and has appeared in over 300 movies. Acc ...
. ''
The Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, th ...
'' found the subject more appropriate for a photography book. ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...
'' and ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...
'' criticized ''Aroused'' for its lack of depth. The ''
New York Daily News
The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in Ta ...
'' criticized Anderson for self-promotion. In 2015, Anderson was one of the first clients for a new photographers' agency launched by
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to t ...
called The Dog Ate My Homework.
Filmography
Discography
*
Publications
*
*
*
Awards and nominations
See also
*
List of female film and television directors
This is a list of female film and television directors. Their works may include live action and/or animated features, shorts, documentaries, telemovies, TV programs, or videos.
A
* Jennifer Abbott (Canada)
* Sarah Abbott (Canada
* Jen ...
*
List of film and television directors
This is a list of notable directors in motion picture and television arts.
A
*Dodo Abashidze
*George Abbott
*Norman Abbott
*Phil Abraham
*Jim Abrahams
*Abiola Abrams
* J. J. Abrams
*Ivan Abramson
*Lenny Abrahamson
*Hany Abu-Assad
*Tengiz Abul ...
List of women writers
* List of women writers (A–L)
* List of women writers (M–Z)
See also
* Feminist literary criticism
*Feminist science fiction
*Feminist theory
*Gender in science fiction
* List of biographical dictionaries of female writers
*List of early-mod ...