by Marie Bungau

Helmut Newton and Guy Bourdin translated fashion photography into intriguing stories, where the body becomes an object of fascination, guiding the eyes of the viewers, or better yet, the voyeurs. They follow seductive lines and curves, slowly moving their gaze from one piece to another. And while these 2 artists never actually met in person, their creative worlds seem to be in a timeless dialogue through their work at the current exhibition at the Helmut Newton Foundation.

“Image Maker” presents exemplary works by Guy Bourdin for various publication contexts, notably his iconic and imaginative advertising images for Charles Jourdan shoes as well as lesser-known works, vintage prints, and layouts from French Vogue. Helmut Newton’s “A Gun for Hire” presents mainly commissioned works from the 1990s for fashion houses such as Thierry Mugler, Valentino, and Blumarine and for companies including Absolut Vodka and Villeroy & Boch.

Guy Bourdin - Charles Jourdan, Spring 1976 (Copyright Guy Bourdin Estate. Courtesy of Louise Alexander Gallery)

Distinctive sensuality and overt sexuality complement each other in the unconventional, yet perfectly staged scenes of Helmut Newton. Master of the perfectly imperfect shot, the King of Kink, a voyeur himself, Helmut Newton continues to fascinate through a vast photographic oeuvre that stands as the testament of good taste with a strong fetish undertone. He transforms mundane locations into theatrical stages, often playing on power and seduction, dominance and submission, using symmetry as a tool to highlight these dualities. There’s almost always a compelling dynamic between a more imposing and a slightly submissive model in his pieces, while constantly making sure to celebrate their femininity and strength.

More of a surrealist, Guy Bourdin used his own visual language in order to capture on frame realities which seem to exist only in his imagination. Like any other writer, his use of metaphors manages to transpose in front of us sublime aspects of life and death. Some of the pictures embody the aftermath of an unusual event, and you couldn't help but wonder what could have happened outside the frame. Conflicting realities become beautiful collages where hyper saturated colours bring to life characters from stories in which the perfection of the outfits are in total contrast with the absurdity of the scenarios.

Helmut Newtown - Mario Valentino, Monaco 1998. (Copyright Helmut Newtown Foundation)

It's impossible not to spend a few long hours getting lost into the captivating worlds of these artists, whose subversive approach to fashion photography highlight the sensual, the assertive and the mysterious. As you try to make sense of the surreal images you are exposed to, you are left only with unanswered questions which, in the end, ignite and fuel your imagination in ways in which explicit movies might fail to do.

Small and intimate, “June’s Room” at the Helmut Newton Foundation is reserved for friends and colleagues, this time for Helmut Newton’s former assistant Angelo Marino. Complementing the works of Bourdin and Newton, Marino offers a highly individual view of his immediate surroundings under the title “Another Story,” featuring snapshot-like portraits and landscapes in surreal colors.

The exhibition is open until May 13th at the Helmut Newton Foundation in Berlin, Germany.

Angelo Marino - Another Story, 2014 (Copyright Angelo Marino)

From left: Guy Bourdin - Charles Jourdan, 1978 (Copyright Guy Bourdin Estate. Courtesy of Louise Alexander Gallery). Helmut Newtown - Thierry Mugler, Milan 1998 (copyright Helmut Newtown Foundation)