Left: Yves Saint Laurent, French Vogue, Rue Aubriot, Paris 1975, copyright Helmut Newton Estate / Maconochie Photography; right: Catherine Deneuve, Esquire, Paris 1976, copyright Helmut Newton Estate / Maconochie Photography
To visit a retrospective on Helmut Newton is to embark on a journey through the history of fashion photography. A prolific photographer, the German artist would go on to shoot celebrity fashion icons such as Sophia Loren and Cindy Crawford. His mastery of black and white photography landed his work on the pages of Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Playboy. On show until 4 September, Amsterdam’s Foam Museum is hosting a comprehensive retrospective on Newton that includes all of the photographer’s legendary works.
Focusing on nudes and glamour photography, Newton eventually grew to develop an erotic style with sadomasochistic and fetishist subtexts. His photographs celebrated femininity and sex appeal, with women dressed in towering stilettos and skin-tight corsets. Each image paid homage to women, to the beauty of their bodies and to the power of their femininity. Though critics have slammed Newton’s work for abasing women, in truth, the fetish elements serve to highlight the female body’s power.
By far, the woman admired most by Newton was June Brown, his wife and fellow photographer. Working under the pseudonym Alice Springs, the artist assisted her husband while incorporating her own vision into their collaborative efforts. For its retrospective, Foam showcases the couple’s shared artworks alongside Newton’s own photographs, thus completing a career that – without women – would have never been possible.
Self Portrait with Wife and Models, Vogue Studio, Paris 1981, copyright Helmut Newton Estate / Maconochie Photography
Left: X-Ray, Van Cleef & Arpels, French Vogue, 1994, copyright Helmut Newton Estate / Maconochie Photography; right: image courtesy of agonistica.com
Image courtesy of fadedandblurred.com
“Helmut Newton – A Retrospective” is on display at Amsterdam’s Foam Museum until 4 September 2016