Matthew Russell Rolston is an American artist, photographer, director and creative director. He is known for his signature lighting techniques and detailed approach to art direction and design and has been repeatedly identified throughout his career with the revival and modern expression of Hollywood glamour.
Born in Los Angeles, Rolston studied drawing and painting in his home town at the Chouinard Art Institute and Otis College of Art & Design, as well as in the Bay Area at the San Francisco Art Institute. He also studied illustration, photography, imaging and film at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, where in 2006, he received an Honorary Doctorate.
While still a student at Art Center, Rolston was "discovered" by Andy Warhol, for Warhol's celebrity focused Interview magazine, where he began a successful career in photography. Soon after, Rolston began shooting covers and editorial assignments for founding editor Jann Wenner of Rolling Stone, as well as for other publications such as Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, Vanity Fair, W, GQ, Esquire, Cosmopolitan, O: The Oprah Magazine and The New York Times. Rolston has completed thousands of photoshoots in his career, including over 100 covers for Rolling Stone alone.