MICHEL COMTE
Self-taught photographer Michel Comte's images of models and celebrities possess a unique sense of climax, as though everything has built up precisely to the moment he has captured. Often featuring women's nude bodies, his photographs are highly dramatic, suggestive of a larger, often sordid, narrative. In one of his most famous photographs—an image of Giselle Bündchen from 1999—the model scowls as she inhales from a cigarette. Naked from the waist up, she covers her breasts with her arms; her eye makeup is smeared and dripping, while decadent diamond jewelry hangs from her neck and ears. Such expressive portraits are complemented by Comte's ethereal landscapes, in which clouds disintegrate into the air and light flares accentuate bits of bright blue sky.
“YVES SAINT LAURENT, 1992”
This photograph of the famous dressmaker was taken for W Magazine in Paris in 1992 for a special issue with renowned designers. The series by Comte also included portraits of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, Giorgio Armani, Jean-Paul Gaultier, and Calvin Klein. In this shot Yves Saint-Laurent is posing with his favorite dog, seeming to crack open the door for us into the world of his creative ideas. It is notable that the name of the bulldog—the designer’s favorite breed—was given by his close friend Lilya Brik.
Naomi Campbell, Vogue Italia, 1993
Naomi Campbell, Vogue Italia, 1993
Image size 120x120 cm
Frame size 130х130 cm C–print
Edition 1/3
Printed 2016
Signed verso by the author in pencil
This photograph was taken for the Italian edition of Vogue in 1993 as Naomi was starting her career as one of the best supermodels in the world. The photo shoot took place in Michel Comte’s room at the Ritz Paris, where he was staying at the time. This is where he photographed many stars, such as supermodel Claudia Schiffer and actors Mickey Rourke, Sylvester Stallone, and Geraldine Chaplin.