State of the Art

Annals of Fashion: Meisel+Mendez=Art

Steven Meisel has done it again, this time shooting actress/model Eva Mendez for a story in Italian Vogue. In the various images, she wears corsets, sucks her toes, and exposes her breasts. No doubt "Access Hollywood" will be all over this story, which I suppose is justification enough for the photos. But they don't need any other justification--they're pretty great, period. Is it me, or is Meisel getting better and better? Mendez has  already bared her bottom for a PETA ad. She's also signed on to be the face of Calvin Klein Underwear--so we're wondering what's left for her to show?--David Schonauer

Question of the Day: Should Retouchers Get Photo Credits?

Yesterday I bumped into the inimitable Laurie Kratochvil, photo editor par excellence, who told me to make sure and read the profile of digital retoucher Pascal Dangin in this week’s issue of The New Yorker
   The profile is interesting, in the thoughtful, thorough, and long way that New Yorker articles tend to be. But it raises some important points about the art of photography now.
     Dangin is the owner and resident genius of Box Studios in New York, the place where lots of big fashion photographers, magazines, and advertisers get their images perfected for print. “His success lies…in his ability to marry technical prowess to an aesthetic sensibility: his clients are paying for his eye, and his mind, as much as for his hand,” writes the article’s author, Lauren Collins.
     At this point I think we’re all aware of how important retouchers have become to the photographic process. Often, as the article points out, it is Dangin who creates a successful image by altering the work a photographer has already done.
     So I have a question I’d like to put out into the world: Should retouchers like Dangin be given photo credits when their work results in something useful? If it truly is his artistry that makes an image work, shouldn’t we know that? Of course that might upset lots of photographers. But what do you think?
     (Above: A photo of Dangin for the New Yorker by Josef Astor. I don’t know if it was retouched.)—David Schonauer

Should Lindsay Be the Drunk-Driving Poster Child?

Last Friday marked the debut of this ad, featuring a mug shot of Lindsay Lohan after her arrest last year for drunk driving. I finally saw it today in the New York Post. Somehow it doesn’t seem right to me to use this kind of image in this way. I’m not sticking up for Lohan and her repeated arrests and serial-rehab ways. But does she deserve this?
      The ad is not an anti-drinking-and-driving ad. In fact, it is paid for by a restaurant and liquor group that is campaigning against the mandatory installation of ignition interlocks. These devices analyze a driver’s breath, and if they detect alcohol they won’t let the car start.
      These would be great for drunks like Lindsay, says the ad, but bad for all of us who want some wine at lunch. “No more toasts at weddings,” we are warned. “Let’s stop drunk driving without eliminating our traditions.”
      That’s a shaky argument—the ad wants us to eat our cake (beer at the ball game before the drive home) and have it too (remove drunk drivers from the road).
      The deft use of symbolism is the key here: The ad creates a two-tiered system of drunkenness—an “us” and “them” in which “us” are responsible imbibers and “them” are pretty much without redeeming value—a position that Miss Lohan now finds herself in. A certified cultural scourge, she becomes in this ad a convenient foil, staring at us from the police photo and inviting us to feel ever more virtuous about our own behavior.
      Lindsay Lohan doesn’t have anyone but herself to blame for her life. But this ad let’s the rest of us off the hook when it comes to our own responsibility.—David Schonauer

Swimsuit Model Audition

The great sports photographer Walter Iooss — who has shot more than his share of Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issues — once said that "with models like these, you can't go wrong." Here's a chance to test his theory. As a clever promotional gimmick, Taco Bell has set up a virtual swimsuit model website called directdaniella.com. The model, Daniella (left) is a gorgeous (but not always cooperative) woman who will pose in a setting of your choice, and you can test your ability to capture her moves. For comparison's sake, the home page links to SI's swimsuit website as well. Happy shooting. — Jack Crager

Catcher of the Eye

For image-makers who want to learn to cut through the clutter of today's information glut and quickly grab people's attention, here's a chance to learn from one of the true masters. The Museum of Modern Art in New York just announced a forthcoming exhibition, George Lois: The Esquire Covers from the 1960s and early '70s. Along with large-scale prints of many of the final covers, the show will also show Lois's original artwork for several of the designs, including the renowned picture of Andy Warhol drowning in a soup can (above), which illustrated a May 1969 story about the decline of the American avant-garde.

This shot is particularly clever because, in the days before Photoshop, Lois and photographer Carl Fischer created it out of two images — one with the can of soup (Fischer says they dropped marbles in it; Lois says it was a stone) and the other a posed portrait of Warhol (he said, "Oh greaaaaat," Lois recalls). These were combined in a "C-print that was printed together and retouched," Lois told Kurt Andersen in an interesting interview recently broadcast on NPR's Studio 360. It will be fascinating to see the "images behind the icons" at the MoMA show — it runs from April 25 through March of 2009 (for a preview sampler of the Esquire covers you can go here).

Spitzer as Art, via Kruger

I told myself umpteen times this weekend that I would not do another post about the disgrace of former New York governor Eliot Spitzer. Then I saw this image, which is the cover of this week's New York magazine. The photo, taken by Henry Leutwyler, was given the old art treatment by Barbara Kruger. Result? Brillaint. This is why we have magazines.--David Schonauer

Annals of Advertising: Kermit the Frog Poses for Terry Richardson. Earth Survives, Somehow.

I never thought I'd write the words "Kermit the Frog" and "Terry Richardson" in the same sentence. Yes, those rumors you've been hearing are correct: The lime-green amphibian from Sesame Street has posed for a new campaign shot by the guy in the pervy 1970s-era porn eyeglasses. The campaign is for Supreme, the clothing line popular among the skateboarding set. Some people hate Richardson. Others think he's genius. I think this instantly makes Kermit the coolest frog on earth. You can watch Richardson at work, below.

Annals of Advertising: Shooting Escorts

Today in political news, we get to see photos of the call girl, “Kristen,” with whom New York’s soon-to-be ex-governor liaised. We knew that was coming, right? The pictures of Kristen weren’t that good, however. So on my way to work I wondered, where would an escort go to get good pictures for online advertising? A bit of research on Eros Guide New York showed that there are indeed a number of photographers who specialize in this niche area.
     “Where there is a demand for a particular service, someone will step in to fill it,” said one of the photographers listed on the guide. (He asked me not to use his name or indicate which company he shoots for. Though he’s been shooting escorts for couple of years, he says he is primarily a fashion specialist. He prefers to keep the escort work private.)

     For this photographer, the decision to shoot escorts was purely market-based. “What’s the first thing you see when you type the word “escort” into Google? Sh**ty pictures,” he says. “I thought, here’s an industry that appears to generate a lot of money, but not much care is being taken with the imagery used to promote it. So I created my business.”
     Given the nature of their work, many escorts simply snap pictures of themselves. A pro photographer can upgrade the look with basic beauty lighting, simple styling, and minimal retouching. “Basically I create the same kinds of images you see in Maxim magazine,” says the photographer I spoke with. “Some clients want their faces in the images, others not. “
     The Eros ad for one photo service makes the importance of imagery clear. “You’ve got about 2 seconds to make an impression on the viewer,” the ad advises escorts. “Make those 2 seconds count.”
     Judging from the ads on Eros, the rates for escort photography is roughly in line with those for actors, models, and others who need commercial imagery—anywhere from $300 to $1,000 or so for packages that include digital images and other services like styling. Most of the photographers advertising on the site in fact also shoot other types of clients as well.—David Schonauer

Annals of Advertising: Underwater Dreamscape

As you know, every once in a while I post about a medium other than photography—hey no art is an island, everything creative is related. This new television as for Farmers Insurance starts out with a series of spectacular underwater visuals. The director, Dante Ariola, used performers from Cirque de Soleil to create the dream sequence.--David Schonauer

Annals of Advertising: More Butts and Art

The cement behinds in the new Gucci print campaign were obviously put there with some intent. But I prefer the subtle, rubberized treatment in this image from the new Tommy Hilfiger campaign (above). The tire protruding from the model’s backside—what do you think, are we seeing an art directing mistake, or is it there on purpose? Maybe the photographer, Dewey Nicks, was looking for a nice way to add shape to his size-zero model. The campaign was shot at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.
     Meanwhile, the confluence of fashion and art continues, most directly in the spring-summer print campaign for Bottega Veneta, which was shot by British fine-art photographer Sam Taylor-Wood (below). The company lauds Taylor-Wood’s “sense of composition…use of lighting, and the psychological depth that she brings to pictures.” And you thought it was about the clothes.—David Schonauer

Annals of Advertising: Gucci’s Bottom Line

You can always count on Gucci for print campaigns that get noticed. This fashion line will do what it takes, even if it means carving a “G” into a model’s pubic hair. Compared to that, the spring/summer print campaign is subtle, if by subtle you mean posing a model under a big horse’s butt. Indeed, there are statuesque bottoms all over the new campaign, which was shot by Ines van Lamsweerde and Vinoohd Matadin. The girl in the images is model Natasha Poly, who seems to be having fun. (That alone sets the campaign apart from most others, in which the models usually look hungry and unhappy.) Is there symbolism at work in these images? Perhaps the message is about how the vitality of fashion props up the edifice of high culture. I give the campaign a B+. —David Schonauer

Annals of Advertising: See It, Lick It

Sometime even the best pictures of products aren't enough in ad campaigns. Perfume companies, for instance, have long been incorporating smelly "scent strips" in magazines. Now the Wall Street Journal reports that Welch's is taking out a full-page ad in People magazine that gives readers the chance to sample its grape juice by licking the ad. As a magazine editor and avid magazine consumer, I see this as a great thing. Print has been trying to find a way to battle against the Internet for advertising, and this might be the killer ap that makes it possible! I foresee a day when Domino's Pizza lets me experience its crunchy/cheesy crust in US Weekly. I think camera manufacturers should get in on this and started cooking up a technology that allows cameras to capture flavor as well as image. Hey, don't laugh--it will probably happen.
--David Schonauer

Annals of Advertising: The Most Controversial Campaigns

Let’s usher out the week with a view of Heidi Klum atop the Chateau Marmont hotel in L.A. The picture is part of the most recent Jordache print campaign, but can you guess the photographer? No, Helmut Newton did not return from the Great Studio in the Sky to shoot the job. The image was made by action film director Brett Ratner (“Rush Hour,” “Red Dragon”), who sidelights as a pro photographer. There happens to be a direct connection between Ratner and Newton, which you can find out about in the upcoming March/April issue of American Photo. But I digress: The real point of this post is to discuss controversial (meaning sexy) print ad campaigns. According to Debonair Magazine, Jordache has been creating cutting-edge ads as far back as the 1970s. As you’ll see here, however, the magazine’s list of  “The Most Controversial Ads in Fashion History” is heavily weighted toward more recent campaigns. No matter what the political/social environment is at any given era, sex always sells. Any other suggestions for the list?
--David Schonauer

Annals of Advertising: The Vajayjay Era

I took several hits over my recent tribute to the Pirelli calendar, mostly because I didn’t include any nudes for fear of offending sensitive viewers. One person lamented the puritanical nature of American culture. But our culture is fairly mixed up about how sexuality is presented. According to BuzzFeed, the latest trend in advertising is the vagina.
     At the center of this trend is a new Target billboard in Times Square that puts a certain part of a model’s body right in the center of a bull’s eye. Then there is the ad for the film Hitman last fall, which seems to include what one commentator calls a “small genital bulge” between the legs of the female in the image. But I’m not going to show you that one here. You’ll have to continue reading.

Annals of Advertising: Toscani's Controversial Anorexia Print Campaign

There are lots of ways to sell products and ideas with photographs, but nobody does it like Italian fashion photographer Oliviero Toscani. For years he used Benneton's "Colors" magazine to move woolens by showing shocking images of AIDS victims and copulating horses. Now he has taken on anorexia--specifically the "size-zero" models who have become an embarrassment for the fashion industry. His new campaign, which debuted with fashion week in Milan, shows a 27-year-old French model, Isabelle Caro, who weighs 68 pounds. Shocking? Yes. Some doctors, however, wonder whether the idealized image might actually help cause young girls to develop eating disorders. I think this kind of advertising actually desensitizes us to horrific diseases. But it certainly stops you in your tracks.
--David Schonauer

Annals of Advertising: Nude Veggies Rock!

I'm not sure where the connection lies between nudity and vegetarianism, but I tend to be open-minded about these things. Why not! Pamela Anderson undressed for a PETA promotion, and now Alicia Silverstone has done the same. There's a television spot directed by Dave Meyers (below), and a print campaign. (At this time I don't know who shot the stills, though I suspect the real genius was the digital retoucher.) To me the campaign seems a little silly, but you cannot underestimate the power that naked herbivores have over our culture. PETA (which is a "neo-terrorist" organization, according to this blog) knows how to get attention. The TV campaign was immediately banned in Texas, ostensibly over the nudity, but I suspect the controversy is more about meat than skin. Texas is for beef lovers (they're called the Dallas Cowboys), and that's a primal kind of thing.--David Schonauer

Annals of Advertising: Sweet Smell of Success

Excuse me if the image here offends you. It's really nothing compared to the photos on Ford's website, which are part of an ad campaign for a new fragrance for men. There you will be treated to a rapid-fire sequence of images labeled "sexually explicit." So now everyone will be clicking away to see them, which is the point. I appreciate the uses of sex in advertising--the evidence will show that I am certainly no prude--but I can't help but think a line has been crossed with the Ford campaign. This is pretty much a porn movie starring a perfume bottle. So who better to execute such a visual idea than fashion photographer/pornographer Terry Richardson? (According to Women's Wear Daily, the campaign was originally shot by photographer Marilyn Minter last April, but Ford decided to go with something more shocking.)

I'm old enough to know how this will all play out in the end: cultural uproar and plenty of free marketing for Ford, and in a few years the campaign will be seen as iconic and even a bit tame, because by then some new taboo will have been breached. Not that there's anything wrong with that....or is there?
--David Schonauer

Annals of Advertising: Japanese Women Are Beautiful

A couple of years ago, the Dove cosmetics company made history by hiring British photographer Rankin to shoot a campaign featuring beautiful women who also happened to be larger, curvier, and older than most fashion and beauty models. Now a similar milestone has been reached in Japan. For years, advertisements there have featured Western models and beauty role models. But a new campaign for a shampoo from Japanese cosmetics maker Shiseido has created a stir by featuring Japanese women. I assume we can expect more of this trend, since the shampoo, called Tsubaki, became the best-selling product in the category. Go here for the story. This could also be a blow to Western model agencies, which already have to battle celebrity endorsers in this country for magazine covers and ad campaign work.
--David Schonauer

Annals of Advertising: Gorby Does Vuitton

What does it mean when supermodels and celebrities are replaced in fashion ads by aging ex-presidents of former communist countries? Clearly something is up in the visual culture when the high-profile print campaign for Louis Vuitton features Mikhail Gorbachev, former head of the Soviet Union. As far as we can remember, the Soviets were never known for their extravagant love of luggage. (Except for all the old KGB agents, whose bags always had false bottoms to stow stolen nuclear secrets and radio-active poison pills. Hmmm...Gorby does look a little suspicious here.)

In the past, Vuitton has used imagery by the likes of Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott and featuring models like Eva Herzigova and celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Scarlett Johansson. The new campaign, shot by Annie Leibovitz, features a number of celebrities, such as Andre Agassi and Catherine Deneuve, as well as Gorby. The campaign debuts in the September issue of fashion magazines. 
--David Schonauer

Annals of Advertising: Moons Over Manhattan

Times Square is a marvel of print advertising, and the limits of good taste are regularly tested there on giant billboards. Here's the latest: a giant photographic banner featuring an assortment of bottoms decorated with smiley faces. The ad, for a new product called the Toto Washlet, went up over the weekend and has already delighted tourists and  wandering photo magazine editors. But you haven't seen anything until you've gone to the Toto Washlet website, which unnervingly seems to put real faces together with the smiling rear-ends. What's your vote: Does this ad belong in public?
--David Schonauer

America's Next Top Model Gets Violent--and Controversial

I don’t happen to watch America’s Next Top Model on the CW network. (Okay, I’ve seen it, but only because I was flipping past it to get PBS. I found it to be pretty mean-spirited and couldn’t figure out who would watch it.) So I didn’t see last week’s episode, which has infuriated feminists. (See a report on the reaction to the episode here.) In the show, hosted by Tyra Banks, contestants did photo shoots in which the would-be models posed as victims of various forms of murder, from strangulation or stabbing. The images, which you can see here, are graphic.

Normally, my default mode is to defend artistic freedom from critics—but I can’t find any justification here. This feels like exploitation. Thoughts?

In a related story about violence in fashion imagery, go here to read about the Dolce & Gabbana ad that was pulled from magazines after critics said it featured a “fantasy rape scene.”
—David Schonauer

ICP Infinity Award Winners Announced

Talk about strange bedfellows. Karl Lagerfeld and The Gap(!) will both be honored at the International Center of Photography's 23rd annual Infinity Awards, to be held May 14 at Pier Sixty in New York.

William Klein, Milton Rogovin, Ryan McGinley, Christopher Morris, David Levi Strauss, Tendance Floue and Tracey Moffat are the other recipients.

We're always a bit bemused by the selections for said awards, so we'll dissect the worthy and the not-so-worthy after the jump.