Untitled
Guy Bourdin
Description
Subject Matter:
This is a chromogenic reproduction of a plate from Sighs and Whispers. Bourdin was commissioned by Arthur Cohen, the vice president of Bloomingdale’s, to produce this photographic series for the store’s September 1976 lingerie catalog. The catalog quickly became a collector's item, due to the scarcity of Bourdin's work. He rarely chose to reproduce his photographs in contexts other than magazines and catalogs. This series exemplifies Bourdin's atypical and boundary-pushing approach to fashion photography. The series references but does not create narrative through the deployment of tableau and B-movie aesthetics. Bourdin employed formal devices such as cropped interior spaces, dramatic lighting, cast shadows, and often-overt references to sexuality, which were strategies that he utilized throughout his career. When this catalog was released in America, it was met with mixed reviews and controversy, much like his notorious work for Charles Jourdan Shoes in France in preceding decades.
Physical Description:
This work is a color photograph of an indoor tableau, with mauve curtains framing a blank wall. To the left, a model leans against the wall in a navy gown. Left of center, another model in a floral dress leans against a floral chair, throwing her head back, hair billowing behind her. A third model in a long mauve gown stands to the right, arms crossed, looking vacantly to the left.
Usage Rights:
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