Photography’s prolific provocateurs
The latest exhibition due to open at Berlin’s Helmut Newton Foundation will play host to photographic work that has eternally blurred the lines between art and eroticism. A trio of experts in the subtle art of titivation – Mario Testino, Jean Pigozzi and foundation namesake, the departed “King of Kink” himself, Helmut Newton – these are men that challenged, reinvented and now define the photographic styles portrayed across some of print’s most illustrious titles.
A teasing blend of flesh and fashion, focused on the former and, ironically, often a distinct absence of the latter, was how Helmut Newton rose to fame. Capturing strong females capable of dominating an entire shot wearing nothing but potent sexuality, in striking monochrome; styled out across a repertoire of reinvigorated Vogue covers.
Considered scandalous by some, Newton’s work dismissed the traditions of classic fashion photography, mocking the industry’s obsession with commerciality by introducing audiences to an underworld where the objects themselves stand in the shadows of the women charged with displaying them – and where women are the subjects of their own empowerment, not objects of desire.
It’s work that ripples with female control, engaging audiences in a sense of high-brow voyeurism as Newton’s alluringly shot nude figures invite attention and analysis, but do not demand appraisal.
Where Newton’s iconic Saddle I and Le Smoking have garnered almost ubiquitous awareness, the images set to be unveiled for the Unseen exhibition at his eponymous foundation are exactly that. Largely elusive original prints showcasing the unique convergence of fashion, portraiture and nudes, which, for the most part, have languished in the Foundation’s archive – Jeremy Ions at the Ritz Hotel in London, Michael Gross at a swimming pool in Dortmund, nudes taken for a ballet by Jan Fabre.
Like Newton, Mario Testino too is synonymous with erotically charged editorial shoots. The flamboyant photographer who turned Kate Moss from delicate English rose into the ultimate femme fatale and sparked the resurgence of Gucci is widely considered one of the era’s most influential fashion photographers – not least, for his career-defining Vanity Fair series with Diana, Princess of Wales.
Where his former work has graced billboards, magazine pages and galleries the world over, Undressed is, conversely, a collection of site-specific works from Testino conceived exclusively for the Helmut Newton Foundation.
Intent on stripping back the physical act of derobing, 50 larger-than-life images in various states of undress reveal the ley lines of fashion, eroticism, anatomy and art on the human landscape: semi-concealed figures partially covered with overcoats, bathing suits or underwear; expanses of extensively and intimately tattooed skin, and unabashed nudes exuding natural confidence.
Despite the underlying sensuality conveyed in Testino’s male-female or same-sex group photos, never does the amorous play cross over into the obscene, instead conjuring a sense of timeless sophistication that offers a view through the looking glass at some of the fashion industry’s most prolific figures.
So too do the small-format works from Jean Pigozzi that make up his Pool Party series, delivering a VIP experience as he welcomes audiences to bear witness to some of his most private photographs. Renowned for his documentary-style images, Pigozzi’s Pool Party portfolio was shot at his pool in Cap d’Antibes on France’s Cote d’Azur; aspirational captures depicting the likes of Mick Jagger, Bono, Liz Taylor, Naomi Campbell and even Helmut Newton bathing in the candescent glamour of the region and era.
Though the inspiration behind their individual crafts is nuanced, each of this subversive trio has driven a shift in perspective on the power of photography as a medium; its capacity to embolden the role of women in the fashion industry, elevate modelling from commercial necessity to artistic statement, and offer the general public a personal look at the lives of the royally rich and famous.
Helmut Newton: Unseen / Mario Testino: Undressed / Jean Pigozzi: Pool Party will be open to the public from Saturday 3 June to Sunday 19 November 2017 at the Helmut Newton Foundation, Berlin, Germany.
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