Photos: guybourdin.net
French fashion photographer Guy Bourdin started his career by being Man Ray’s protégé and turned into one of the most respectable photographers of Vogue in 40 years. Today, Somerset House in London is the home of more than 200 priceless images, paintings, drawings, sketches and notebooks by Guy Bourdin from 1955 to 1987.
Along with Helmut Newton, he was pushing the boundaries of the perception of what is beautiful and desirable and become known for his surrealistic, sexy, shocking and even aggressive fashion images. The artist developed an idea that the product is secondary to the image and did everything to always get the maximum outcome of the photo shoot. Guy Bourdin was so talented and trusted, that all the commissioned work to fashion magazines and houses were 100% under his control, including the hair and the make-up of the models.
‘Walking legs’ – a Charles Jourdan campaign series – is displayed for the first time along other famous fashion images and is a key feature of the exhibition. The story goes back to 1979 and takes place in various locations in England, from London to Brighton. The images of a road trip by the Cadillac, together with the mysteriously absent model and creations by Charles Jourdan, bring the bewildered feelings but remains an influential high-end fashion campaign.
Guy Bourdin was a provocative and loud photographer who was not keen on self-promotion. Luckily, the art work has been saved after the artist’s death and he turned into the greatly inspiring photography legend for the younger generation.
Visit Guy Bourdin: Image Maker exhibition at Somerset House in London http://www.somersethouse.org.uk/visual-arts/guy-bourdin
