Guy Bourdin's vivid, narrative-infused work placed him at the vanguard of fashion photography for a career that spanned four decades. 'In Between' delves into that career, charting the course of his artistic development from the 1950s to the 1980s
With the eye of a painter and the freedom of a photographer, Guy Bourdin created captivating images rich in stories, compositions, and colors. He used fashion photography to explore the realms between the absurd and the sublime, drawing inspiration from theater and Surrealism. Renowned for his suggestive narratives and striking aesthetics, Bourdin broke the conventions of commercial photography with his relentless perfectionism and sharp humor. Given total creative freedom, he captivated a generation. The late 1970s, considered the pinnacle of his career, are the focus of this two-volume edition. Volume I highlights the nearly forgotten images featuring Nicolle Meyer, who appeared in over 30 of his iconic campaigns for Charles Jourdan and in French Vogue editorials. Volume II serves as a road trip through Bourdin's visual landscape, blending images that map his artistic journey. Texts, Polaroids, poems, sketches, and contact sheets intertwine with Nicolle Meyer's memories, revealing moments of Bourdin's creative process that might otherwise fade away. To this day, Guy Bourdin remains an enigma, leaving behind a provocative and compelling legacy. This work delves into his oeuvre and offers insight into the intricate workings of the photographer's mind.
Guy Bourdin was a groundbreaking image-maker and undoubtedly one of the most influential fashion photographers of the twentieth century. Intriguing and revolutionary, his work has achieved a cult-like following; the striking use of color, suggestive narratives, and surrealist aesthetics establishing a visual language all his own. Though best known for his color images, Bourdin launched his career in black and white in the early 1950s. Untouched explores this largely unseen work and gives insight into the early development of his photographic eye. The carefully constructed images, initially conceived as an exhibition series, reveal his artistic motivation years before he began working on assignments for French Vogue and Photo Femina. In both concept and composition, these photographs display his fascination with striking graphic layouts and narrative cinematic portraiture. Capturing people he encountered on the streets of Paris, Bourdin trained his eye to transcend the reality of the medium, developing a unique perspective through unconventional manipulations of the picture plane. Untouched is the first volume in a series of eight forthcoming books that explore the photographer’s complete works.
The classic Photofile series brings together the best work of the world's greatest photographers in an attractive format and at a reasonable price.