Guy Bourdin – you have never heard of him? No? Can’t that be true?
One of the most exquisite fashion photographers of his generation, Guy Bourdin got bad reputation for his snapshots which were very outrageous for many people. However, today his works seem to be quite careless and subtle. First, Guy Bourdin exhibited his pictures as an artist, but later on the surrealistic and anarchic images drew close attention of the Vogue magazine. His activity didn't grow out of the fashion editions, and 10 years passed after his death before there was a solo exhibition of his photographs.
Guy Bourdin passed for a tyrant who outwore his models’ patience down to the limit. But evidently, it was worth doing that. I can’t say that his pictures are my favourite ones or they represent a matchless skill, however, there is something gripping and penetrating about them that makes one find oneself at a loss. Contrasts and shadows, colours and flares, composition and the models, their mimics and poses, their affectation and flawless forms – all is mixed together so that you won’t believe your own eyes. No one handles strong themes the way Guy Bourdin did, such as pleasure, death, violence, glamour and fear. He provoked a new way of looking at people in general. Sometimes it feels as though he put an air of earthliness to his characters, and that causes many people to argue about his works. His models are manikins, hollow-hearted dolls, so, is this the way he treated the whole mankind?
Take a look at the photos below. Could it be really so, what do you think?
Thank you for your comments and ideas! I just want to put forward one point which I find quite suitable to the topic (probably, you'll like it). Looking at the pictures by Guy Bourdin, I've got a very strong impression that the author understood the world around him through the view finder. UNDERSTOOD. He framed the reality with the help of a rectangle making it more logical and reasonable. By the way, many of his snapshots contain geometric figures and patterns. It is a very significant habit allowing us to see the world the way the photographer saw it many years ago.
Jane, all your articles make me surf the Inet to find more photos made by the photographers you write about. And the more I find, the better I understand their vision. (I hope that I understand))) What about Guy Bourdin... His photos were the most difficult for me to comprehend. I just couldn't find something common in them – they seemed too different, I could hardly believe that they were made by one man. But then I've noticed that a great deal of his snapshots have certain similar “plot”: “photo in the photo”. Just like here: http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images....ll2.jpg or here: http://www.art-magazin.de/asset...._ar.jpg or even here: http://srv2.imghost.ge/out.php/i12660_guybourdincharlesjourdan08.jpg I just tend to think that it can be a key, a clue, a way to understand Guy Bourdin's style – he crosses a border between life and snapshot, he is always beyond any bounds. This “photo in the photo” theme reminds me of so-called “corridor of reflections” which you can see if you place one mirror opposite another one. He creates his own “illusion”. May be, that's why his models seem to be
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manikins, hollow-hearted dolls
– they shouldn't seem live – they just “represent” some people's qualities. Represent as a “reflection”, as a “snapshot”. So, I don't think that Guy Bourdin treats the whole humanity the way you've mentioned – to my mind, it's just one of his ways to transmit his vision through his works.
"His models are manikins, hollow-hearted dolls, so, is this the way he treated the whole mankind? Could it be really so, what do you think?"
I suppose, yes. People behave themselves in a special way at work. And almost always they have the same behaviour out of work in their private life or with their friends. Every person has their own view of life and people who are around. And according to this view he/she behaves in this or that way.
