Monday, May 23, 2011
Final Paper
Nick Smythe
Thesis Prep
Fashion Photography
The original importance of fashion photography was to advertise and show off the clothing of designers. In today’s world, a fashion photograph has taken that idea and exploited it. Currently, we are presented with an over the top image filled with lavish lifestyles, unrealistic situations and dream like locations. No longer is the clothing the main point of fashion images, now the over stylization and belief of this abnormal behavior has become the root of photographs that are fashion based.
Fashion Photography can be dated back to the late 1800's. However, it could be argued that as long as there were clothes to be worn and photographed, fashion photography existed. Photographers such as Edward Steichen and Irving Penn were considered to be some of the first most influential fashion photographers, creating some of the most iconic images that we still view today.
Edward Steichen was born in 1879. He originally started out as an oil painter and wrote poetry. However, he is most famously known for his photographic images. An article published by the New York Times stated, "Steichen's photos of gowns designed by couturier Paul Poiret in the magazine Art et Décoration in 1911 are regarded as the first modern fashion photographs ever published". After creating images for other various magazines, Steichen eventually began working for the publishing comp any Condé Nast. This position allowed him to photograph for top magazines such as Vogue and Vanity Fair from 1923 till 1938. During this time period he was considered the best and highest paid photographer.
Steichen's style can be defined as soft and dream like. This style matched perfectly with the clothes that were being photographed at the time and allowed his images to stand out more then others. "Steichen was at the forefront in creating a new American style, as opposed to a European one, in photography," said Maxwell L. Anderson, director of the Whitney Museum in an article that he wrote about Steichen. "He captured the essence of his subjects in works that are among the 20th century's greatest photographic achievements." One of Steichen greatest works was a series of over 500 photographers that he created called The Family Man in 1955 for the Museum of Modern Art. This exhibition toured all over the world for eight years and touched on topics such as culture, love, children and death. Edward Steichen died in March of 1973.
Quickly after Irving Penn graduated from the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Arts in 1938, his graphic drawings were published in Harper’s Bazaar. Post Word War two Penn’s simple, chic and glamorous esthetic brought a whole new element to fashion photography. Becoming one of the first photographs to use a simple gray or white backdrop to photograph his subjects on, Penn began photographing for Vogue magazine, creating a long relationship that would last until his death in 2009.
In 1953, Irving Penn purchased a studio space in New York City, which allowed to not only continue to create work for multiple publications, but also his on personal work. Irving was not only a portrait and fashion photographer, but he also created some of the most iconic and relevant still life images that are still viewed and talked about today. Penn would photograph still life objects as well as found objects that he encountered in his everyday life. He would photograph these strange and unusual arrangements with extensive detail and precision.
Another element that allowed Penn’s images to stand out was the crisp and direct use of light. He constructed a set of upright angled backdrops, to form a stark corner. With the positioning of his subjects in this tight, unorthodox space, Penn brought a unique sense of drama to his portraits. The viewer's main focus would be drawn directly to the person and their expression. In many photos, the subjects appeared wedged into the corner. Subjects photographed with this technique included Martha Graham, Marcel Duchamp, and Georgia O'Keeffe, W.H. Auden, Igor Stravinsky, and Marlene Dietrich.
In March of 2000, “Irving Penn, A Career in Photography” was presented at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Texas. This exhibition contained photographs from every stage of Penn’s fifty-year career, subjects ranging from fashion, celebrity portraiture, travel photography and still lives. Colin Westerbeck, the curator of the show stated, "Penn's career, with its wide-ranging subjects and varied genres, explores the complex relationship between commerce and art in our society," Tucker said. "Constantly shifting roles as a photojournalist and an artist, Penn created works of timeless beauty and character." Irving Penn died in October of 2009 at age 92. He was still living and working in New York City.
Although there is no text directly linking Edward Steichen and Irving Penn’s images and photographic styles together, some common elements can be made. The first would have to be that at this period in time, not very many artists had such a strong sense of style and uniqueness as these too did. Their own personal style is what allowed both photographers to produce images of such a wide variety of subjects, yet still know that you are viewing one of their photographs. It could be said that Edward Steichen’s original intentions for photographing fashion, was for the simple display of the clothes. However, his images were so much more, they were intimate situations between himself and his subjects. This element can directly be seen as in influence in Penn’s work.
His images, whether fashion, portrait or still, were in-depth looks into this relationship with the subject. I find Steichen’s influence on Penn most visible in his still life images. They are filled with personality, relevance and elegance. The fact that you are viewing an inanimate object is not the viewers first thought. Penn brings the tension and individuality of a Steichen fashion photograph to his stills and gives his objects a life that they do not posses on their own. Also, when dealing with portraiture and fashion, Steichen’s idea of glamour and lavish lifestyles can be seen in Penn’s work. Both artists photographed current movie stars, socialites and famous public figures.
Born in Germany in 1964, Juergen Teller attended the Bayerische Staatslehranstalt für Photographie in Munich. After graduating Teller quickly moves to London to escape drafting into the army, this is where his career took off. When he arrived in London, he was extremely interested in the underground punk music scene that was happing. He started out creating images of unknown artist at the time for local magazines. As he continued, he eventually started creating a name for himself and started photographing more famous subjects such as the band Nirvana and Elton John. In 1986, he met his wife, stylist Venetia Scott, who pushed him to start photographing fashion.
Knowing close to nothing about fashion, Teller began to shoot for magazines such as The Face and i-D, bringing the grunge aesthetic of his music images to the world of fashion. By the 1990’s magazines editors all over the world were commissioning Teller to create images with his now famous “snapshot” aesthetic. This unique sense of style, along with various bizarre situations and subjects is what allows Teller to stand out from the rest in today’s world of fashion photography.
As he says himself, 'I depend heavily on the model’s personality; at least, I wanted to depend on this because I’m interested in personal reactions' Because of this distinctive style, Teller continues to create fashion photographs that can almost always be considered not fashion. With the subject’s personality, expression and overall presence in the image being the main focus, fashion seems to take a back seat. However creating advertisement campaign for some of the worlds most famous design houses such as, Marc Jacobs, Vivienne Westwood, Helmet Lang and Céline, it seems that his images have both nothing and everything to do with the world of fashion.
Juergen Teller’s overexposed, raw and in the moment style has also allowed him to bend the line between his commissioned and personal work. In 2009 Teller Paradis was shown in the New York gallery Lehmann Maupin Gallery. Teller Photographed current fashion model Raquel Zimmermann and actress Charlotte Rampling nude in the Musee du Louvre in Paris. The exhibition featured large-scale photographs of the two women as they move amongst the masterpieces housed in the museum. The women's lack of vanity is shown as they are shot at an uncomfortably close level, blending their bodies with classical statues and standing before Leonardo's Mona Lisa. In an article written by the gallery directs, Teller’s work is stated as, “removing the artifice between photographer and subject, leaving only the purity of each image, and unlike the sculptures in the museum's collection, his photographs do not present a standard of beauty but are more akin to a tribute to women and the human form.” Juergen Teller continues to work and live in London, where he remains creating commercial and non-commercial images seen in fashion magazines and galleries all over the world.
Nick Knight was born in London in 1958 and studied at the Bournemouth and Poole College of Art and Design. In 1985 his first book, Skinheads, won him the Designers and Art Directors Award for Best Book Cover. This gained him much respect in the art world of London and allowed to be commissioned for advertisement campaigns. Yohji Yamamoto was one of the first designers who hired Knight to photograph for him; the relationship continued in a consecutive twelve campaigns. Knight has a reputation for pushing boundaries technically and creatively at every opportunity. He is often seen as being at the forefront of innovation. He has worked on a range of often-controversial issues during his career. Frequently touching on topics such as racism, disability, ageism, and more recently fat-ism. He continually challenges conventional ideals of beauty.
Nick Knight has been quoted as saying, "I don't want to reflect social change - I want to cause social change." This very idea is what has allowed his work to be completely relevant in today’s world of fashion photography. Knight has shot advertising campaigns for Jil Sander, Louis Vuitton, Calvin Klein, Yves Saint Laurent, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen and Christian Dior. He has also shot record covers for David Bowie, Paul Weller, George Michael and Massive Attack.
In 2000, Nick Knight created SHOWstudio.com, a fashion and art-broadcasting channel. Here Knight started venturing into the world of video and film. He started directed music videos for various popular artists, as well as creating video to go along with his other the top fashion shoots. With these multimedia creations, Nick Knight continues to be among the worlds most influential photographer, as he gives us a look into what the future of fashion imagery will become. Knight lives with his wife and three kinds in London and still continues to produce photographs and videos.
When observing today’s fashion photographs and fashion photographs from when this genre was created, it is extremely obvious that things have changed. It seems that the simple idea and foundation that fashion photography was created for, has been completely thrown out the door. Currently, fashion images are lacking in the fashion department, and more about creating and presenting a lifestyle to the viewer.
However with photographers such as Juergen Teller and Nick Knight, there is still hope. Although direct influences from Edward Steichen and Irving Penn might not be seen immediately, the pure ideals and love for fashion are still there. Steichen and Penn’s admiration for elegance, style and glamour can still be seen in Teller and Knight’s images. It is this extensive precision to detail that has allowed all four photographers to be completely relevant when discussing the topic of fashions photographs.
Irving Penn was all about photographing these unusual and strange situations in not only his portraits but also his stills. This direct connection can constantly be seen in Tellers images as well. Teller’s bizarre and unfamiliar world is built on the existence of this relationship between photographer and subject, and that very same bond is what Penn built his career on.
Thesis Prep
Fashion Photography
The original importance of fashion photography was to advertise and show off the clothing of designers. In today’s world, a fashion photograph has taken that idea and exploited it. Currently, we are presented with an over the top image filled with lavish lifestyles, unrealistic situations and dream like locations. No longer is the clothing the main point of fashion images, now the over stylization and belief of this abnormal behavior has become the root of photographs that are fashion based.
Fashion Photography can be dated back to the late 1800's. However, it could be argued that as long as there were clothes to be worn and photographed, fashion photography existed. Photographers such as Edward Steichen and Irving Penn were considered to be some of the first most influential fashion photographers, creating some of the most iconic images that we still view today.
Edward Steichen was born in 1879. He originally started out as an oil painter and wrote poetry. However, he is most famously known for his photographic images. An article published by the New York Times stated, "Steichen's photos of gowns designed by couturier Paul Poiret in the magazine Art et Décoration in 1911 are regarded as the first modern fashion photographs ever published". After creating images for other various magazines, Steichen eventually began working for the publishing comp any Condé Nast. This position allowed him to photograph for top magazines such as Vogue and Vanity Fair from 1923 till 1938. During this time period he was considered the best and highest paid photographer.
Steichen's style can be defined as soft and dream like. This style matched perfectly with the clothes that were being photographed at the time and allowed his images to stand out more then others. "Steichen was at the forefront in creating a new American style, as opposed to a European one, in photography," said Maxwell L. Anderson, director of the Whitney Museum in an article that he wrote about Steichen. "He captured the essence of his subjects in works that are among the 20th century's greatest photographic achievements." One of Steichen greatest works was a series of over 500 photographers that he created called The Family Man in 1955 for the Museum of Modern Art. This exhibition toured all over the world for eight years and touched on topics such as culture, love, children and death. Edward Steichen died in March of 1973.
Quickly after Irving Penn graduated from the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Arts in 1938, his graphic drawings were published in Harper’s Bazaar. Post Word War two Penn’s simple, chic and glamorous esthetic brought a whole new element to fashion photography. Becoming one of the first photographs to use a simple gray or white backdrop to photograph his subjects on, Penn began photographing for Vogue magazine, creating a long relationship that would last until his death in 2009.
In 1953, Irving Penn purchased a studio space in New York City, which allowed to not only continue to create work for multiple publications, but also his on personal work. Irving was not only a portrait and fashion photographer, but he also created some of the most iconic and relevant still life images that are still viewed and talked about today. Penn would photograph still life objects as well as found objects that he encountered in his everyday life. He would photograph these strange and unusual arrangements with extensive detail and precision.
Another element that allowed Penn’s images to stand out was the crisp and direct use of light. He constructed a set of upright angled backdrops, to form a stark corner. With the positioning of his subjects in this tight, unorthodox space, Penn brought a unique sense of drama to his portraits. The viewer's main focus would be drawn directly to the person and their expression. In many photos, the subjects appeared wedged into the corner. Subjects photographed with this technique included Martha Graham, Marcel Duchamp, and Georgia O'Keeffe, W.H. Auden, Igor Stravinsky, and Marlene Dietrich.
In March of 2000, “Irving Penn, A Career in Photography” was presented at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Texas. This exhibition contained photographs from every stage of Penn’s fifty-year career, subjects ranging from fashion, celebrity portraiture, travel photography and still lives. Colin Westerbeck, the curator of the show stated, "Penn's career, with its wide-ranging subjects and varied genres, explores the complex relationship between commerce and art in our society," Tucker said. "Constantly shifting roles as a photojournalist and an artist, Penn created works of timeless beauty and character." Irving Penn died in October of 2009 at age 92. He was still living and working in New York City.
Although there is no text directly linking Edward Steichen and Irving Penn’s images and photographic styles together, some common elements can be made. The first would have to be that at this period in time, not very many artists had such a strong sense of style and uniqueness as these too did. Their own personal style is what allowed both photographers to produce images of such a wide variety of subjects, yet still know that you are viewing one of their photographs. It could be said that Edward Steichen’s original intentions for photographing fashion, was for the simple display of the clothes. However, his images were so much more, they were intimate situations between himself and his subjects. This element can directly be seen as in influence in Penn’s work.
His images, whether fashion, portrait or still, were in-depth looks into this relationship with the subject. I find Steichen’s influence on Penn most visible in his still life images. They are filled with personality, relevance and elegance. The fact that you are viewing an inanimate object is not the viewers first thought. Penn brings the tension and individuality of a Steichen fashion photograph to his stills and gives his objects a life that they do not posses on their own. Also, when dealing with portraiture and fashion, Steichen’s idea of glamour and lavish lifestyles can be seen in Penn’s work. Both artists photographed current movie stars, socialites and famous public figures.
Born in Germany in 1964, Juergen Teller attended the Bayerische Staatslehranstalt für Photographie in Munich. After graduating Teller quickly moves to London to escape drafting into the army, this is where his career took off. When he arrived in London, he was extremely interested in the underground punk music scene that was happing. He started out creating images of unknown artist at the time for local magazines. As he continued, he eventually started creating a name for himself and started photographing more famous subjects such as the band Nirvana and Elton John. In 1986, he met his wife, stylist Venetia Scott, who pushed him to start photographing fashion.
Knowing close to nothing about fashion, Teller began to shoot for magazines such as The Face and i-D, bringing the grunge aesthetic of his music images to the world of fashion. By the 1990’s magazines editors all over the world were commissioning Teller to create images with his now famous “snapshot” aesthetic. This unique sense of style, along with various bizarre situations and subjects is what allows Teller to stand out from the rest in today’s world of fashion photography.
As he says himself, 'I depend heavily on the model’s personality; at least, I wanted to depend on this because I’m interested in personal reactions' Because of this distinctive style, Teller continues to create fashion photographs that can almost always be considered not fashion. With the subject’s personality, expression and overall presence in the image being the main focus, fashion seems to take a back seat. However creating advertisement campaign for some of the worlds most famous design houses such as, Marc Jacobs, Vivienne Westwood, Helmet Lang and Céline, it seems that his images have both nothing and everything to do with the world of fashion.
Juergen Teller’s overexposed, raw and in the moment style has also allowed him to bend the line between his commissioned and personal work. In 2009 Teller Paradis was shown in the New York gallery Lehmann Maupin Gallery. Teller Photographed current fashion model Raquel Zimmermann and actress Charlotte Rampling nude in the Musee du Louvre in Paris. The exhibition featured large-scale photographs of the two women as they move amongst the masterpieces housed in the museum. The women's lack of vanity is shown as they are shot at an uncomfortably close level, blending their bodies with classical statues and standing before Leonardo's Mona Lisa. In an article written by the gallery directs, Teller’s work is stated as, “removing the artifice between photographer and subject, leaving only the purity of each image, and unlike the sculptures in the museum's collection, his photographs do not present a standard of beauty but are more akin to a tribute to women and the human form.” Juergen Teller continues to work and live in London, where he remains creating commercial and non-commercial images seen in fashion magazines and galleries all over the world.
Nick Knight was born in London in 1958 and studied at the Bournemouth and Poole College of Art and Design. In 1985 his first book, Skinheads, won him the Designers and Art Directors Award for Best Book Cover. This gained him much respect in the art world of London and allowed to be commissioned for advertisement campaigns. Yohji Yamamoto was one of the first designers who hired Knight to photograph for him; the relationship continued in a consecutive twelve campaigns. Knight has a reputation for pushing boundaries technically and creatively at every opportunity. He is often seen as being at the forefront of innovation. He has worked on a range of often-controversial issues during his career. Frequently touching on topics such as racism, disability, ageism, and more recently fat-ism. He continually challenges conventional ideals of beauty.
Nick Knight has been quoted as saying, "I don't want to reflect social change - I want to cause social change." This very idea is what has allowed his work to be completely relevant in today’s world of fashion photography. Knight has shot advertising campaigns for Jil Sander, Louis Vuitton, Calvin Klein, Yves Saint Laurent, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen and Christian Dior. He has also shot record covers for David Bowie, Paul Weller, George Michael and Massive Attack.
In 2000, Nick Knight created SHOWstudio.com, a fashion and art-broadcasting channel. Here Knight started venturing into the world of video and film. He started directed music videos for various popular artists, as well as creating video to go along with his other the top fashion shoots. With these multimedia creations, Nick Knight continues to be among the worlds most influential photographer, as he gives us a look into what the future of fashion imagery will become. Knight lives with his wife and three kinds in London and still continues to produce photographs and videos.
When observing today’s fashion photographs and fashion photographs from when this genre was created, it is extremely obvious that things have changed. It seems that the simple idea and foundation that fashion photography was created for, has been completely thrown out the door. Currently, fashion images are lacking in the fashion department, and more about creating and presenting a lifestyle to the viewer.
However with photographers such as Juergen Teller and Nick Knight, there is still hope. Although direct influences from Edward Steichen and Irving Penn might not be seen immediately, the pure ideals and love for fashion are still there. Steichen and Penn’s admiration for elegance, style and glamour can still be seen in Teller and Knight’s images. It is this extensive precision to detail that has allowed all four photographers to be completely relevant when discussing the topic of fashions photographs.
Irving Penn was all about photographing these unusual and strange situations in not only his portraits but also his stills. This direct connection can constantly be seen in Tellers images as well. Teller’s bizarre and unfamiliar world is built on the existence of this relationship between photographer and subject, and that very same bond is what Penn built his career on.
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