GUY BOURDIN
Guy Bourdin was born in Paris in 1928. His mother left him soon after he was born, but he was adopted by Maurice Bourdin, whose family name he received. When Guy Bourdin reached adulthood, he was recruited for military service and sent to Dakar, where he began to show an interest in photography. When he returned home after his service, Bourdin found a job at a photographic supplies store—he sold camera lenses and also continued to paint, draw, and take pictures. Guy Bourdin’s concept of creativity and his life in general changed after he became familiar with the works of Edward Weston and met Man Ray in person. Afterwards, he turned to surrealistic art. In the second half of the century, Bourdin became one of the most famous photographers in the world of fashion and advertising. He worked at Harper’s Bazaar and shot advertising campaigns for major brands, such as Issey Miyake, Gianni Versace, Pentax, Chanel, Bloomingdale’s, Loewe, and Emanuel Ungaro. Guy Bourdin didn’t enshrine his artworks—he even wanted them to be destroyed after his death, although that did not happen. In 1985, Bourdin turned down the Grand Prix National de la Photographie, awarded by the French Ministry of Culture, but his name was retained on the list of winners. He often refused to take part in exhibitions, but his works were still exhibited before and after his death. The most recent exhibitions took place at the French Consulate in New York (2010), Museu de Arte Contemporânea in Brazil (2011), and the Deichtorhallen in Germany (2013). The style of photography employed by Guy Bourdin was far beyond traditional advertising because of its courage and narration. Confrontation with the nature of a commercial image becomes central in his artworks. While conventional images of fashion make cosmetics and clothes the main elements, photographs taken by Bourdin offer a radical alternative. His success is based to a great extent on his understanding that it is not fashion that captivates us, but the image created around it.
PENTAX CALENDAR 1980 (JANUARY)
FUJIFLEX CRYSTAL ARCHIVE PRINT 85X120 CM EDITION 7/18 PRINTED 2019 SIGNED «FOR ELENA K» VERSO BY THE INHERITOR © THE GUY BOURDIN ESTATE 2019 / COURTESY OF LOUISE ALEXANDER GALLERY
Unlike many photographers, Guy Bourdin preferred to work with lesser-known models. For him, it was more important that the model's appearance match his ideas, rather than the model's name. In 1977 Bourdin began working with the red-haired model Nicole Meyer, who became his muse for several years.
CHARLES JOURDAN, FALL 1977
FUJIFLEX CRYSTAL ARCHIVE PRINT 85X120 CM EDITION 8/18 PRINTED 2019 SIGNED «FOR ELENA K» VERSO BY THE INHERITOR © THE GUY BOURDIN ESTATE 2019 / COURTESY OF LOUISE ALEXANDER GALLERY
From 1964 to 1981, Guy Bourdin collaborated with the shoe brand Charles Jourdan. During these years Bourdin was the exclusive photographer to work with the brand, and he had the right of absolute control over the process. Moreover, he was able to implement any of his ideas through the advertising campaigns.
“VOGUE, PARIS, MAY, 1970”
The shot of model Louise Despointes made for the May 1970 issue of Vogue is an optical illusion inspired by the surrealist approach. A number of hands with nails of the same color and similar shape, placed one upon another, create the illusion of a transition from conventional reality to the fantasy world, where a viewer can be transported just by looking at this photographic image.