UNWERTH (VON), ELLEN
PHOTOGRAPHERS , U
ELLEN (VON) UNWERTH, THE TRANSGRESSIVE AND REVOLUTIONARY PHOTOGRAPHER
Ellen von Unwerth (1954) was born in Frankfurt and left her family at a very young age to move in with a group of friends. She then she finished her high school studies and worked first in Monaco at the Circus Roncalli, then from ’75 as a model in Paris.
Ellen von Unverth
FROM THE CATWALKS TO THE CAMERA
Ten years later, he switched to the other side of the camera and began his business working mainly for Vogue in its various national editions, Interview, George, Vanity Fair . Did Ellen become famous for a report she made on Claudia Schiffer for Guess? . She photographs transgressive, she takes photos of erotic content.
Claudia Schiffer for Guess
EXPRESSIONISM AND SENSUALITY
Much appreciated for her images that are both captivating and aggressive with an expressionist taste, she has also created numerous advertising campaigns for Chanel , Adidas, Diesel and has collaborated with designers such as Valentino , Dolce & Gabbana , Moschino , Gucci . Recently Unverth (von) Ellen has dedicated herself to cinema with some shorts and the feature film Inferno .
There are many personal exhibitions and four books. Snaps, Couples, Wicked and the very recent Revenge , made in 2003 in 5 thousand copies of which 200 signed by the author. You live and work between New York and Paris. In 2005 Ellen published two more books, Omahyra & Body and Plumes et Dentelles .
Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista, Vogue Italia, 1990
THE ALBUM COVERS
His work has been used for promotions and album covers. He promoted the Duran Duran album in 1990 titled Liberty and in 1997 for Medazzaland. He has also worked on other covers, such as Bananarama’s Pop Life , 1991; Am I the Kinda Girl? by Cathy Dennis, 1996; The Velvet Rope by Janet Jackson, 1997; Saints and Sinners by All Saints, 2000; Life for Rent by Dido, 2003; Britney Spears’ Blackout , 2007; Back to the Basics , Keeps Gettin ‘Better: Decade of hit by Christina Aguilera, 2006 and 2008; and Rihanna’s Talk That Talk and Rated R.
Rated R by Rihanna
Additionally, Von Unwerth has been the director of commercial films for brands such as Clinique, Equinox, Revlon and others.
ELLEN BETWEEN THE EXHIBITS
In a 2018 interview with Harper’s Bazaar, she explained her feminist approach to photography:
The women in my photos are always strong, even if they are also sexy. My women always seem confident. I try to make them look as beautiful as possible because every woman wants to feel beautiful, sexy and powerful. This is what I try to do.
Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell for Vogue US
On October 18, 2020, the world’s largest institution for photography, Fotografiska, opens in New York. The debut is an exhibition on Ellen’s career, titled Devotion! 30 Years of Photographing Women.
Through the lens, von Unwerth has always managed to show the world a different side of her illustrious subjects, be it a vulnerability never seen before or a childish playfulness that no one would ever expect.
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Happy Birthday Claudia Schiffer. The top model turns 50
STERN, BERT
