Newton, Legacy
Details
A Lasting Legacy
Helmut Newton’s prolific body of work
During the 1990s, Newton shot for the German, American, Italian, French, and Russian editions of Vogue, primarily in and around Monte Carlo where he was living from 1981 onwards. Transforming locations like his own garage into starkly contrasting or particularly minimalist theatrical stages, Newton would often portray the eccentric lives of the beautiful and rich, full of eroticism and elegance, in unconventional scenarios. He made use of and simultaneously questioned visual clichés, at times tinged with self-irony or mockery, but always full of empathy.
The photographer
Helmut Newton (1920–2004) was one of the most influential photographers of all time. He first achieved international fame in the 1970s while working principally for French Vogue, where he became celebrated for his controversial scenarios. Most striking was his ability to make a throughly planned photograph seem fresh and dynamic. His many titles and awards included Commandeur dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
The contributing author
Philippe Garner is an expert in 20th-century photography, design, and decorative art. He has written numerous essays and books, from studies of the lives of designer Émile Gallé and photographers Cecil Beaton and John Cowan, to his Sixties Design for TASCHEN. A former director of Christie’s, he has also curated shows for museums in London, Paris, and Tokyo.
The editor and author
Matthias Harder studied Art History, Classical Archaeology and Philosophy in Kiel and Berlin. He is a member of the German Society of Photography and an advisory council member of the European Month of Photography. Head curator of the Helmut Newton Foundation in Berlin from 2004, and also its director from 2019, he has written numerous articles for art magazines, books and exhibition catalogues.