The “lost generation” is the era of the 80’s to 90’s in which a generation of punk rockers, supermodels, and artists ruled the cultural spectrum. It is also the moment in time captured by documentarian, filmmaker, and photographer, Anton Corbijn in his recent body of work entitled “Inwards and Onwards”. Taking photography back to its basics, Corbijn captures a series of black and white portraits of influential musicians, artists, and actors. According to the photographer, he does not use the help of a crew or lighting team, or even Photoshop.[1] Everything is raw and natural. He wanted to document a moment in each person’s life, representing it in its entirety. In fact, in an interview in New York Magazine Corbijn cautions, “I don’t narrate my photography. … People can make their own story. It’s the opposite of movies, in a way.”[2]
Most of the portraits in the gallery are in a large 100 cm x 100 cm format with minimal lighting that only focuses on each piece, leaving the room in a kind of obscure dimness. All the photos are set within a white border and brown wood frame. The gallery is a white cube; the windows are blocked off from the outside world, enhancing the muted isolation of the space. This set up results in a stark relationship between art and spectator. It exudes an intimate human interaction that subtracts all outlying elements and leaves the viewer free to interpret the image from within his own imagination. In this way, the installation of the work allows you to do exactly what Corbijn intended: to tell your own story.
The first image to greet you as your enter the room is of fashion designer, Alexander McQueen. The black and white photo was captured in 2007 in McQueen’s London studio, only a few years before his tragic suicide. McQueen is masked, alluding to a sense of ambiguity in the man’s identity, and stripping him of his emotions, only leaving his reputation for talent in the spotlight. Behind him in the photograph, is his inspiration wall of photos and memorabilia, which showcase the premise of his designs. Somehow this dark, poignant photo of the masked McQueen almost foreshadows his demise years later. Setting McQueen as the opening piece to the show introduces a sense of poignancy to this documented historical moment, a theme that is continually expressed throughout the rest of the exhibition.
Next to the image of McQueen is a portrait of Tom Waits, who was photographed in California in 2004. Corbijn’s use of direct lighting really stands out, and emphasizes the captivating emotion captured on Wait’s face.[3] The juxtaposition between the simplicity of a lackluster background and Wait’s face strengthens the image even more. Corbijn considers Waits to be a dream model because of his mysterious and open-ended persona.[4] Waits’ portrait enhances the reoccurring theme of ambiguity in Corbijn’s photos that the viewer begins to realize as he moves through the exhibition. The story begins to unfold is one that documents the past decade and the people who have contributed in enriching them with their talents.
The next photo in the series is of Bruce Springsteen, who was photographed on his property in New Jersey in 2005. He appears with his horse in the midst of a snow-covered landscape. The sunlight reflecting off the glimmering white snow is inspiring. Because it is captured in black and white, the outlines of the shapes are emphasized against the white background, creating a strikingly bold effect of dark and light. It almost looks as if the blackness of Springsteen and his horse were artificially superimposed onto the snowy white background. Such images attest to Corbijn’s talent to capture such a moment without the aid of any digital enhancements.
As I perused the room, I stumbled upon an image of the infamous supermodel, Kate Moss, captured nearly 15 years ago in New York. Representing yet another mysterious story, she is wearing a mask and a simple white dress. The symmetrical shot enhances her “perfect beauty”, but covering her face with the mask brings about a sense of irony. Corbijn wanted to capture not just her physical beauty, but also the beauty of her confidence, as well as the confident energy she exudes in the room, which he captures in such a simple way. The white dress of “purity” could be interpreted as ironic considering her past escapades. Nonetheless, the lighting and positioning of the photo create an almost angelic feel.
Following Moss is an image of artist, Richard Prince who was photographed in New York in 2010. In this photo, Prince sits in front of a painting from his “Nurses” series. He has an almost philosophical look of pondering on his face—the clichéd expression of all artists. Of Prince’s work, Corbijn says, "I find Richard’s work … very inspiring … . Him and the painting become a single image."[5] This is particularly evident in the way that Prince is almost camouflaged with the background, an effect Corbijn achieves through his use of the natural lighting source of the daytime light filtering into the room.
Corbijn photographed a comical and legendary Iggy Pop in Central Park in 2003. He appears naked in the photo; crawling on the ground in a wild, overgrown area of the park. There is an interesting relationship between the indigenous setting and the naked Iggy Pop crawling about, which according to Corbijn, “comes closest to being a painting.”[6] Ultimately, through its primitive, uninhibited, and ambiguous qualities, this photo perfectly captures Iggy Pop’s spirit.
Perhaps the most awe-inspiring photo in the series is the one of Lucien Freud. In the photo, the legendary painter is depicted in profile, which is different from all the other pieces in the series. Seeing the profile of Freud’s face gazing into the sunlight is a rather moving experience. It is almost as if the camera captures the exact moment that the artist has come to a revelation for another work of art. Again, the contrast between light and dark enhance the emotion captured on Freud’s face, highlighting the humanism in the subject matter. There’s a bold strength to the image. “I think it’s fantastic for a man to be so obsessed still with what he’s doing,”[7] Corbijn explains, evidencing not only the way in which Freud’s passion is so perfectly captured, but also the passion of the photographer.
Corbijn brought together some of his favorite pieces to put this collection together. The overarching theme tying all these works together are the concepts of ambiguity and mystery. Each photo tells a story, but it is up to the viewer to discern its meaning. I liked how he presented each photo in black and white, with nearly the same close-up shoot. By doing this, he creates a consistency and regularity to his depictions, resulting in an inspiring series that is rather personal.
Yet, what is perhaps most notable about Corbijn is that because he is also a filmmaker and a photographer of CD covers, this series is also very market-driven. He uses famous faces as his subjects, rather then anonymous subjects. Even so, because he uses faces we all know, we are able to forge more direct relationships with each image. Significantly, nearly all the subjects he photographs are also artists. He prefers to capture people that create and enrich the world. “There’s an appeal to me in the life of the photographer,” he says. “ … One camera and meeting people. No lights, no assistants, just me taking the photograph. The really simple approach to photography is a great balance to making the films.”[8]
In opposition to his high-budget Hollywood films, this series is more direct and natural, and is especially notable for the precision of his technique. The relationship between subject and artist is palpable, as Corbijn manages to breathe new life into a lost moment, immortalizing forever the lost generation.
[1] <www.huffingtonpost.com> accessed Dec. 20, 2010
[2] Corbijn, Anton. "See Anton Corbijn’s Photographs of Springsteen, Iggy Pop, Tom Waits, Alexander McQueen, and Others." New York Magazine. 4 November 2010. <http://www.newyormag.com > accessed Dec. 20, 2010
[7] Ibid.
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