Peter Lindbergh on Photography, Chaos, and the Female Gaze
In a conversation with artpress, photographer Peter Lindbergh shares insights into his fashion photography style, emphasizing the importance of spontaneity. He reminisces about a 1988 shoot for American Vogue, where he captured unknown models wearing men's shirts on a beach, a project overseen by Anna Wintour. Lindbergh strives for objectivity to highlight the individuality of models, focusing on the 'anodin, le fugitif, le transitoire.' During a collaboration with Wintour, he opted for a plain gray background instead of a pre-designed set. He mentions his 'Looking At' series featuring models among bystanders, although he finds the outcome overly modern. Favoring black and white, he appreciates melancholy and sees himself as an outsider in the fashion world. He commends Bill Cunningham and reflects on the Bechers' impact on German photography, concluding with a metaphor about light and creativity.
Key facts
- Lindbergh shot unknown models in men's shirts on a beach for American Vogue in 1988.
- Alexander Liberman gave Lindbergh carte blanche for the shoot.
- Anna Wintour published the images eight months later.
- Lindbergh describes his principle as objectivity to not alter models' personalities.
- He abandoned a pre-planned set for a simple gray backdrop during a collaboration with Wintour.
- Lindbergh claims he is 'innocent of the black box' and focuses on who, what, where, not how.
- His series 'Looking At' involved models among unwitting passersby.
- He prefers black and white photography, citing Walker Evans.
- Lindbergh considers himself an outsider to fashion.
- He praises Bill Cunningham as a future great photographer.
- Lindbergh mentions Joseph Kosuth's 'One and Three Chairs' as influential.
- He says he is 'more physical than mental' and rejects conceptual certainties.
- He notes the dominance of Bernd and Hilla Becher in German photography.
- Cologne and Düsseldorf produced more photographic talent than Paris, according to Lindbergh.
Entities
Artists
- Peter Lindbergh
- Alexander Liberman
- Anna Wintour
- Walker Evans
- Andy Warhol
- Paul Morrissey
- Bill Cunningham
- Joseph Kosuth
- Bernd Becher
- Hilla Becher
- Thomas Ruff
- Andreas Gursky
- Candida Höfer
- Thomas Struth
- Robert Ryman
- Roland Barthes
- Disdéri
- Jérôme Bonaparte
- Zeuxis
- Baudelaire
- Carl Sagan
- Henri Van Lier
- Alexis Jakubowicz
Institutions
- Condé Nast
- Vogue American
- Vogue États-Unis
- artpress
- Libération
- École de Düsseldorf
Locations
- Montauk
- New York
- Düsseldorf
- Cologne
- Paris
- Allemagne
- Chine
- France
- États-Unis
Sources
- artpress —