So it begins...

This blog is a product of too much inspiration in too small a space. I'm running out of mental real estate for all these beautiful things that I stumble across. Not to mention that sharing beauty is half the damn fun of it all. And so, fellow perverts for art in all forms, it begins!

L'homme du jour: Our man of the day, Mr. Guy Bourdin, photographer extraordinaire, potential leg fetishist. Bourdin was born in Paris in 1928, and is known as one of the most influential fashion photographers of the late 20th century. His most noted contemporary is the talented Helmut Lang (but we will save monsieur Lang for another day). Bourdin was definitely not a starving artist- our boy did extremely well for himself, working for big Parisian couture houses such as Chanel, and other luxury brands such as Issey Miyake and Versace. Both Vogue and Harper's Bazaar can lay claim to capturing his talent (and in Vogue's case, introducing it to the world at large).




What struck me about Bourdin was how he was introduced to the art of photography; he received his first training through his military service in Dakar, as a cadet in the French Air Force. I find that alot of artists I enjoy have served a stint in the military at some point in their lives, the common visual language being that of rigor, clarity, attention to technical details; all evident in Bourdin's work. If you look at the position of the subject (models) bodies in Fashion Editorials now, you can see Bourdin's unique fetishization of parts of a whole- especially evident in advertising, where often the actual product is not pictured, but rather suggestions by way of body language and cues in the background that paint a picture of what the product means, what it's essence is composed of. I'd say that Bourdin was key in bringing symbolism into editorials- the point of fashion, of advertising and of showcasing, became something altogether existential (we can always count on the French for that, eh?)
















If Mr. Bourdin tickled your creative curiosity, here are some links for you to click. Be careful not to get lost, the addictive nature of the following art is a strong opponent of work, eating, sleeping, and generally functioning in 'reality'.

Get lost in it! There's a time for escape, as for everything else;

http://www.guybourdin.org/

http://www.showstudio.com/projects/guy/guy_movies.html

http://www.guybourdin.net/contents.html

GO! Into the wilderness of fashion, my children!