Olga Pantushenkova, Paris 1998

Olga Pantushenkova, Kult Magazine, Paris 1998

Olga Pantushenkova, was one of the first Russian models to achieve international fame.
Born in St. Petersburg, she dreamed of becoming a model since she was a little girl.
At the age of fourteen she participated in a Miss USSR contest, and was spotted by someone from Red Star, the first modelling agency in Moscow. The world thought that only babushkas came out of the East, but when the Iron Curtain was finally fell it was revealed that Russia held a rich treasure-trove of beauty.

So, Red Star sent her to Paris where she was signed by Elite. Under one condition. That she cut her long hair – the pride of every Russian girl. She chose a radical bob. A star was born.
Her breakthrough came with an advert for Cacharel Eden Perfume. Armani, Lacroix, and covers for Vogue and Elle quickly followed. ‘An explosion of beauty’, as Karl Lagerfeld allegedly once said.

Olga, with her platinum blonde, dyed, and cropped hair, looked nothing like the standard Russian girl she once was: long dark hair, preferably in a plait or pony tail, but had now joined the select group of super models.
In Russia she turned into an idol, a role model, where millions of girls, from Vladivostok to Voronesh, dreamed of nothing other than following in her footsteps.

Light, Sorrento 1992

Light, Irah and Angelo, Via degli Archi, Sorrento 1992

“She doesn’t even notice the stains on her dress. The bruises on her knuckles. The blisters on her feet. As the guests leave they take their laughter with them. The doors open and the nighttime air comes in. She takes a deep breath and sits down for the first time in for however long it might have been. Such things don’t matter now. Empty tables surround her, but despite this lonely scene and this cold air, warmth is what she feels. She steps outside and attempts to light a cigarette. Her lighter is nowhere to be found, but Angelo helps her out. They say ‘Buena Notte’ to each other. The food was good. The kitchen is clean. Everyone is happy. That’s all that matters.”

Roman Holiday, Rome 1991

Roman Holiday, Marie Claire Magazine, Rome 1991

In Roman Holiday – a story shot in Rome for Marie Claire, inspired by William Wyler’s 1953 movie, starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck – we tried to recreate the scene in which rebelling Princess Anne realizes that this is the first day she’ll spend in freedom after escaping from the strict schedule at the palace.

We made a picture of our Princess on the balcony of her hotel room, which was just opposite mine. Stylist Maarten Spruyt had dressed up the place with flowers and plants that he had found in the hotel lobby, but the dilapidation of the rear side of the building, and the miserable condition of the electrical utilities kept putting themselves in the foreground. Prominently.

It didn’t seem to disturb Her Royal Highness at all: “Free at last!”

Strike a Pose, Amsterdam 1987

Strike a Pose, HCM Advertising, Amsterdam 1987

I guess we’re all familiar with the frequently encountered, gaudy way of posing that can be part of a fashion shoot; a kind of photography we know from the past, practiced by photographers such as Edward Steichen, Cecil Beaton, Hoyningen-Huene or Horst P. Horst, who all left an indelible and unparalleled impression with their dramatically lit fashion pictures, usually shot in a studio, and dating from the first half of the twentieth century. 

These somewhat fictitious, contrived pictures with enormous expressive strength became a reality in themselves, with meaning and importance for those who are interested in fashion, but – for they reflect their time in an unprecedented way – now look outdated. It is probably the watered down, pale shadow of this genre of posed, unnatural, but to this day still imitated fashion pictures that is responsible for the negative image of shallowness of fashion photography in general that exists for many people.

Maybe it’s a good idea not to listen to Madonna as she sings: “Strike a pose! Vogue, Vogue, Vogue!”, but to look at the photographs of Peter Lindbergh or Arthur Elgort, to see some viable, modern, alternatives.

Favourite, Amsterdam 1992

Favourite, Elegance Magazine, Amsterdam 1992

Last week Friday I gave a guest lecture using Skype for the students of the Falmouth Arts University in Cornwall, England, regarding my book ‘Nothing is Real’, published by Amazon.com.
All went well until one of the students asked me what my own, ‘favourite’ picture was.
This is about the most difficult question I can imagine. By choosing one image as ‘best’, I’m degrading all my other pictures to ‘less’, a decision I don’t want to make.
So I answered, as I did before when similar questions were asked: “The last one I’ve been working on.” At that moment that image is the most present and ‘important’ in my mind.
Then the student asked: “Which one is it? What does it look like?”
When I told her, I realized that, except for the editor-in-chief of the magazine I had shot it for, no one had ever seen my ‘favourite’ picture, which is quite exceptional.
“I like it, but we’re not going to publish it.” he had said. “It’s far too sexy for our readers. I don’t want to take the risk.”
So I put it in my ‘archives’ where it stayed until I found it that morning and took it aside to put it on Instagram later that day, right after the Skype session.
And here it is. Shot in the Japanese Room of the famous Tuschinski Theater in Amsterdam. For Elegance Magazine.

Rastaman, Grenada 1994

Rastaman, Grenada 1994

Over the years, I spent a lot of time in the Caribbean, be it for pleasure or for work.
I remember those trips particularly at this time of the year because it’s cold over here, while the weather conditions in the Caribbean right now are perfect, the hurricane season being far away. So, the best time to visit is now.Have a nice holiday!

Dalla Pop Art alla Street Art, Mantova 2017

Vogue Italia, Warhol e Basquiat, Dalla Pop Art alla Street Art, Jan. 2017

Happy New Year!
A happy and healthy 2017 with lots of new developments and challenges for everyone!
I’m starting off next Sunday with a group exhibition in wonderful, ‘citta d’arte’, Mantova, Italy. The exhibition at the Mantova Outlet Village, called ‘Dalla Pop Art alla Street Art. Da Andy Warhol alla Jean-Michel Basquiat’, is curated by ONO-Arte Contemporanea, Bologna, and will be opened by Daniela Sogliani, art historian, on Sunday January 8, 16.30 hrs. It will last till March 5, 2017
The other photographers are Lee Jaffe, Fred Mc.Darrah, and Anton Perich.

http://www.vogue.it/  
http://www.rollingstone.it/
https://libreriamo.it/fotografia/le-fotografie-di-andy-warhol-e-jean-michel-basquiat-in-mostra-a-mantova/

Fiorucci, Amsterdam 1984

People and their Bicycles, Fiorucci, i-D Magazine 1984

Many years ago, at the occasion of the opening of a new Fiorucci Store in Amsterdam, I photographed people who came to the new shop with their bikes, wearing their favorite, most spectacular clothes. All according to an idea of i-D art-director, founder, and editor-in-chief Terry Jones who wanted to publish the pictures in his magazine, and came over from London to see how comfortable I was with ‘the Straight-Up’, his favorite style of photography: simple, head-to-toe pictures of street cast people with great personal style.
One picture after the other. I think I made over a hundred portraits that day.

Thean Hou, Kuala Lumpur 1991

Burning joss sticks. Thean Hou, Kuala Lumpur, Elegance Magazine 1991

One of Malaysia’s many unique characteristics is the intriguing mix of religions that live side by side, due to the multiple ethnic groups – all with their own culture – that inhabit the country.
Despite the fact Malaysia is often being identified as Islamic – the constitutional state religion – it does know freedom of religion for non-Muslims.

China, Amsterdam 1992

China in Amsterdam, Avenue Magazine 1992

The China Trade. The influence of Chinese culture has always been enormous, throughout history, worldwide, in many different fields. Silk and science, food and philosophy, opium and fireworks. And fashion. From the exuberance of the Old Empire till the sobriety of the People’s Republic.