PHOTOGRAPHY
News
Through the lens of legendary photographer Albert Watson
Romantic, mystical and emotional, the graphically arresting work of Scottish-born photographer Albert Watson has left an indelible mark on pop culture since he moved stateside in the early 1970s. Though blind in his right eye since birth, Watson sees the world through a remarkably sensitive lens that has made for decades of dramatic images. With more than 200 Vogue and 40 Rolling Stone covers to his credit, the 72-year-old artist also relishes shooting landscapes and still lifes, and has directed myriad ad campaigns and commercials. …….
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Ellen von Unwerth – News | S-League
Die Izzy Gallery präsentiert zum zweiten Mal die Werke der renommierten Fashionfotografin. In der Auswahl „My Way“ erzählt Ellen von Unwerth ihre Geschichten in einer ausdruckskräftigen und zugleich erotischen Art und Weise, in Anlehnung an kinematografische Szenerien. Die von der Künstlerin selbst ausgewählten Fotografien, sowohl in Schwarzweiß als auch in Farbe, stellen eine selbstbewusste, sehr feminine und zugleich sinnliche Frau in den Mittelpunkt. …….
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ALBERT WATSON AT IZZY GALLERY “SILVER LININGS”
Thursday February 5th was a fantastic night for Toronto, as the city welcomed famed photographer Albert Watson for the second time at Izzy Gallery, to launch his month and a half-long exhibition entitled “Silver Linings”. The show features 34 of Watson’s limited edition Gellatin Silver Prints, chosen and processed by his own hands in his New York City darkroom…….
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Five things to do this weekend: Feb. 6 to 8
This year’s black-culture celebration explores Afrofuturism, a forward-thinking and funkadelic proposition and aesthetic. The eclectic programming includes the dance project Zayo! (Feb. 7, 8 p.m.; Feb. 8, 4:30 p.m., free), a screening of Sun Ra: A Joyful Noise (Robert Mugge’s excellent 1980 documentary on the interstellar musician……
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Albert Watson Silver Linings
You know Albert Watson’s photographs even if you don’t realize it – he’s been called one of the most important photographers of all time.
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Albert Watson: The man who shot everyone
After 200 Vogue covers and another 50 for Rolling Stone (to mention just part of his oeuvre), Albert Watson , 72, is one of the most famous fashion and celebrity photographers in the world. When he went to shoot Steve Jobs for Fortune in 2006—which resulted in what is now Jobs’s iconic portrait, the one on the cover of Walter Iasaacson’s biography, capable of “staring across an entire bookstore,” in the photographer’s own words—Apple’s presiding genius looked at the camera and said, “Oh my god, why are you shooting film?” Watson replied that that digital was “not quite there yet.”
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CP 24 Photographer Albert Watson talks about exhibit
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Richard Crouse Feb 7 2015 – Podcast
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A look through the lens of fashion superstar photographer Ellen Von UnwerthAlbert Watson is an award-winning photographer and has captured hundreds of well-known iconic images of the rich and famous. Today he stopped by The Social to share some of the stories from behind-the-scenes of his most famous photographs.
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A look through the lens of fashion superstar photographer Ellen Von UnwerthAlbert Watson is an award-winning photographer and has captured hundreds of well-known iconic images of the rich and famous. Today he stopped by The Social to share some of the stories from behind-the-scenes of his most famous photographs.
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ELLEN VON UNWERTH RETURNS TO TORONTO TO ATTEND A NEW EXHIBIT OF HER WORK AT TORONTO’S IZZY GALLERY, OPENING THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2014Known for her playful, sexy aesthetic, 27 of photographer and director Ellen von Unwerth’s works will line the walls of the Izzy Gallery, December 11, 2014 – January 25, 2015. Ellen von Unwerth will be in Toronto on Thursday, December 11 to celebrate the opening of “My Way” at the gallery…….
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LEGENDARY PHOTOGRAPHER ARTHUR ELGORT TALKS CHRISTY TURLINGTON, INSTAGRAM AND HIS SON, ANSEL ELGORT
For every ten interviews you’ve read online, at least five start with “we were lucky enough to meet..,” right? Well, in this case, hyperbole has nothing to do with hanging out with a living legend. Earlier this fall, legendary fashion photographer Arthur Elgort was in Toronto and, well, we truly were lucky to meet him.
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A look through the lens of fashion superstar photographer Ellen Von Unwerth
Although she was a model for a decade, famed fashion photographer Ellen Von Unwerth was never all that comfortable in front of the camera, so she was ready for a change when her boyfriend gave her one of her own and a crash course on how to use it……
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Jeanne Beker and Ellen Von Unwerth on power and vulnerability in fashion photography
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The Big Picture At Izzy Gallery
Renowned fashion photographer Arthur Elgort appeared in Toronto for the opening of his first Canadian exhibit at the Izzy Gallery on Oct. 9, 2014. ….
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Ellen von Unwerth returns to Toronto to attend a new exhibit of her work at Toronto’s Izzy Gallery, Opening Thursday, December 11, 2014
November 20, 2014, Toronto: Known for her playful, sexy aesthetic, 27 of photographer and director Ellen von Unwerth’s works will line the walls of the Izzy Gallery, December 11, 2014 – January 25, 2015. von Unwerth will be in Toronto on Thursday, December 11 to celebrate the opening of “My Way” at the gallery….
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The father of candid glamour: A look at photographer Arthur Elgort’s career in fashion
Until the early sixties and long before street style took off, fashion photography was largely confined to studio spaces with controlled lighting. Then along came Arthur Elgort, a Brooklyn-born art student who pushed the perimeters of the fashion photography of the day by capturing his subjects on the move and in natural light….
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Ellen von Unwerth returns to Toronto to attend a new exhibit of her work at Toronto’s Izzy Gallery, Opening Thursday, December 11, 2014
November 20, 2014, Toronto: Known for her playful, sexy aesthetic, 27 of photographer and director Ellen von Unwerth’s works will line the walls of the Izzy Gallery, December 11, 2014 – January 25, 2015. von Unwerth will be in Toronto on Thursday, December 11 to celebrate the opening of “My Way” at the gallery…..
The father of candid glamour: A look at photographer Arthur Elgort’s career in fashion
Until the early sixties and long before street style took off, fashion photography was largely confined to studio spaces with controlled lighting. Then along came Arthur Elgort, a Brooklyn-born art student who pushed the perimeters of the fashion photography of the day by capturing his subjects on the move and in natural light….
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Famed Vogue photographer Arthur Elgort on how he got started in a competitive industry
Jeanne Beker sits down with famed Vogue photographer Arthur Elgort for a chat about his career, his love of photography and his thoughts on the prevalence of smartphone photography…..
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ARTHUR ELGORT : THE BIG PICTURE AT IZZY GALLERY
It really is quite refreshing to be brought back to a time where there was no photoshop, massive digital camera equipment, overly-styled shoots or (gasp) Instagram filters. Flash back to a time where deep creativity was necessary in a photographer; enabling him/her to push the boundaries of creativity. In the early 70’s, Arthur Elgort captured iconic images with some of the (now) biggest models in the world. Models such as Kate Moss, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington who were, at the time, also all starting their careers…..
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‘The Big Picture’ Opening at Izzy Gallery
Iconic fashion photographer Arthur Elgort attended the first Canadian exhibit of his work, held recently at Izzy Gallery located at 106 Yorkville Avenue. This exhibition included a captivating showcase of 22 fashion photos taken from over 40 years of his work with Vogue, leading fashion houses and prestigious trend setting individuals…..
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ARTS TORONTO – OCTOBER 19, 2014
It’s a brand new show on JAZZ.FM 1, Jazz and the Arts. With Arts Toronto, Mark Wigmore concentrates on The Arts side of our mandate. From film to theatre, dance to architecture, Cabaret to pop culture.
This is the program that goes deeper in the stories, the settings and the personalities that are behind the incredible arts scene in Toronto….
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Arthur Elgort “The Big Picture”
Open to the public: Mon – Wed 11am – 6pm & Sat 11am – 5pm / Oct 9 – Nov 29
Arthur Elgort The Big Picture is the first solo exhibit in Toronto of, one of the most influential and emulated fashion photographers working today and best known for his groundbreaking work in Vogue,
Arthur Elgort: The Big Picture is at Izzy Gallery, 106 Yorkville Ave, Toronto, from Thursday, October 9, 2014 until November 29, 2014….
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Supermodels as seen through the lens of Arthur Elgort
Fashion photographer Arthur Elgort, best known for his Vogue portraits of supermodels, is presenting his work for the first time in Canada. Elgort says working quickly is what made him popular with the models. Video provided by The Canadian Press.
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Vogue Photographer Patiently Awaits His Next Assignment
n Toronto for the opening of an exhibition of his photos at Yorkville’s Izzy Gallery, famed Vogue photographer Arthur Elgort took the time to chat with Canadian Press. Among other things, he came up with a job title that really should be the one printed on Anna Wintour‘s Condé Nast business cards:
“Vogue are not using me at the moment. I don’t know why,” said the genial 74-year-old New York native, who suffered a stroke in 2011. “I’m going to wait and send (Wintour) a Christmas card and say, ‘I’m ready for you anytime you’re ready for me.’ But I think she’s so busy now because I think now she’s the head of everything, and that’s a lot of things to do.”
“And I can’t complain because she kept me. When Grace Mirabella left and Anna took over, most people got kicked out except me and (creative director) Grace Coddington. So we still talk all the time, but I never ask the question (about the next assignment). I feel funny asking the question. I don’t feel like I’m good at that.”…..
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Vogue photog Arthur Elgort talks exhibit, career and Anna Wintour’s future
TORONTO – Famed Vogue photographer Arthur Elgort says he can’t predict what the future holds for the fashion magazine, but he doesn’t foresee longtime editor-in-chief Anna Wintour leaving anytime soon.
“No, I don’t think so, unless she’s going to be a French ambassador,” he said in an interview, referring to long-standing rumours that Wintour has been in the running for such a diplomatic post either in London or France.
“But why bother? Wouldn’t you rather be Vogue than French ambassador? I think it’s more fun,” he added with a smirk. “You get better seats at the (Paris fashion) shows too.”
Elgort stopped in Toronto this week to open “The Big Picture,” the first solo exhibit of his work in Canada. It’s running at Izzy Gallery in the city’s posh Yorkville district through Nov. 29….
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Photographer Elgort discusses Toronto exhibit
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Arthur Elgort: Snapshots, supermodels and style
The famed American fashion photographer mounts his first-ever Canadian exhibition
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Fashion photographer Elgort on new book and first Canadian exhibit
Thu, Oct 9: Arthur Elgort is one of the most influential and emulated fashion photographers working today and is best known for his groundbreaking work in Vogue. He is releasing his sixth book this month called “The Big Picture”. Elgort is also opening his first exhibit in Canada at Toronto’s Izzy Gallery.
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Tastemaker: Arthur Elgort
According to Vogue Creative Director Grace Coddington, fashion photographer Arthur Elgort’s photos “have about them the ease of a personal snap while creating pictures that have become thoroughly iconic. [Arthur] has an inquiring, roving eye that is always on the lookout for sudden unexpected moments to keep the pictures sparkling fresh.”…
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`Fashion` Photography: Arthur Elgort “The Big Picture”
Arthur Elgort, one of the most influential and emulated fashion photographers working today and best known for his groundbreaking work in Vogue, will be in Toronto at Izzy Gallery (106 Yorkville) on October 9, 2014 to open the first exhibit of his work in Canada: “The Big Picture”.
“We’re honoured to show Arthur Elgort’s work for the first time in Canada”, said gallery owner Izzy Sulemanji, “Elgort pushed the boundaries of fashion photography creating a freer, more spontaneous style full of movement inspired by his love of jazz and dance.”…..
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Looking through the lens of an iconic shutterbug
Like any teenaged boy growing up in the 905, my room was wallpapered with ’90s pop culture.
Photos that were a part of that collage were of supermodels Cindy Crawford, Stephanie Seymour, Angie Everhart and Daniela Pestova.
Sure they were sex symbols. But I took my interest in them one step further. I may be in the minority, but I always needed to find out who took the photos of my celebrity crushes…..
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Exclusive // Terry O’Neill
Terry O’Neill made a name for himself capturing the style of the 60s and getting candid shots of the decade’s biggest stars including Elton John, Brigitte Bardot, and The Beatles. In 2011 he was awarded The Royal Photographic Society’s Centenary medal “in recognition of a sustained, significant contribution to the art of photography” and now the master photographer has brought some of his best work to Toronto for an exhibit called “The Man Who Shot the Sixties”. We had a chance to attend the exhibition’s opening and talk to O’Neil about his iconic images. You can see Terry’s work on display at the Izzy Gallery until August 24.
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THE MAN WHO SHOT THE SIXTIES: TERRY O’NEILL
The world of photography today revolves around the latest technological upgrades to gear, digital manipulation, and the ethics of paparazzi pictures. It was a different time in the Sixties – when the black and white images of renowned photographers managed to capture the heart and soul of their glamorous subjects, lending these celebrities a timeless elegance that manages to transcend the test of time…..
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Terry O’Neill: They Dont Make’em Like They Used To
July 4, 2014 by Simona Panetta
Like most great British success stories, Terry O’Neill’s was born from being at the right place at the right time. It was sometime in 1967, in the glitz of Saint-Tropez, and Audrey Hepburn, ever eminent since her Roman Holiday fame, is on the set of the marital dramedy Two for the Road, her penultimate film before a break from the spotlight. When out of the sky and onto her shoulder a fluttering dove perches, cooing submission to the doe-eyed star. This gives O’Neill an idea. Like a hovering bee moving ever so fast to stay still, the photographer puts his 35mm camera to work, the light of the image flooding the film plane before he advances from one frame to the next. Click. Click. Click. A flash of bashfulness, a muted weakness; a corporeal transformation of an actress habitually sheltered in pearls and little black dress couture. The captured moment is rare and candid, revealing a slip of vulnerability before vanishing as quickly as it appeared. Again, with cliché abandon, the right place at the right time. But maybe there’s more to it than just that.
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Diary of the Week: Amber’s White Party, Joe Carter Classic, Stratford Festival and Terry O’Neil gallery
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Meet the man who shot the sixties: Terry O’Neill
The zeitgeist of the ’60s is alive on the walls of Yorkville’s Izzy Gallery. And whether you grew up in that era, or have a penchant for that time in pop culture that set the tone for the way we view celebrity today, the collection of images on display is irresistible….
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Richard Crouse Show
June 28, 2014
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Canada AM: Photos from the frontlines of fame
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http://www.cp24.com/video?clipId=388131
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Terry O’Neill: The Man Who Shot the Sixties
BY JESSICA BUCK
Our fascination with fame and celebrity isn’t new—and this is illustrated in Izzy Gallery’s newest exhibit, Terry O’Neil: The Man Who Shot the Sixties. A photographer from the U.K., O’Neill snapped iconic shots of everyone from The Beatles and Rolling Stones to Brigitte Bardot and Faye Dunaway. The opening party features an appearance by O’Neill himself, and his “photographs from the frontline of fame” will remain on display until the end of August.
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TERRY O’NEILL: one of the world’s most celebrated photographers – June 25, 2014
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Eight iconic Terry O’Neill photos
British photographer Terry O’Neill stopped by The Social to talk about the iconic images of equally iconic people he’s taken over a career that spans over six decades. From musicians, like the Rolling Stones, the Beatles and Frank Sinatra, to actors like Audrey Hepburn, Sean Connery and Faye Dunaway (who he later married), O’Neill won the trust of the famous—including presidents and prime ministers….
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Terry O’Neill: the best, luckiest man in celebrity photography
To hear renowned photographer Terry O’Neill tell it–in a cockney accent that sounds uncannily like Michael Caine, no less–he’s just one lucky bloke.
There he was, an aspiring jazz drummer who took a job with the photography unit of the British airline BOAC, as a way to get to the nightclubs of New York. So about 1959 he’s in the airport in London and he snaps a photo of a man sleeping surrounded by a clutch of African chieftains. Darned if it didn’t turn out to be Rab Butler, then the British home secretary. “A newspaper guy saw me and said, ‘I want to show these pictures to my editor.’ I gave him the roll of film,” he says over the phone from London….
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http://www.dolcemag.com/fashion/yorkville-izzy-art-gallery/15453
The work of legendary photographer Roxanne Lowit comes to Toronto
Lining the walls of Yorkville’s Izzy Gallery this month are the familiar faces of celebrated models, artists, actors and designers who have two things in common: glamour and the woman who captured it on film. The work of photographer Roxanne Lowit illustrates the kind of glamour that fashion fairy tales are made of. I sat down with the legendary photographer before the opening of her latest show, “Toujours Glamour,” where we spoke of her introduction into the world of fashion and photography, some of her favourite moments and what she has planned for the future….
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Citylifetv: Izzy Gallery – Roxanne Lowit
Audrey, Elton, the Beatles — iconic photographer Terry O’Neill has captured the biggest stars in their brightest moments. With a selection of his most celebrated works being displayed at Toronto’s renowned Izzy Gallery, O’Neill stopped by the exhibit to discuss his works — and to spill his secret of what makes an artist one of the best around.
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Preview: 12 shots of Johnny Depp, Kate Moss and other celebs at Roxanne Lowit’s first Canadian exhibit
Fashion photographer Roxanne Lowit, known for her sassy backstage snaps at designer runway shows, has finally brought a selection of her iconic works to Toronto. Her first Canadian exhibit, Toujours Glamour, is currently on at Yorkville’s Izzy Gallery….
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THE ROXANNE LOWIT INTERVIEW
Nolan Bryant is one of my favorite people and I am thrilled to debut his new column exclusively for Curate that will combine his flare for fashion & vintage with his talents as a photographer and dashing “Man about Town”. For his inaugural column he interviews the photographer Roxanne Lowit as she hit Toronto for the opening of her exhibit. We are very pleased to have Nolan act as our roving vintage eye to capture and cover the parties and events right here in our back yard!…
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Backstage fashion photographer Roxanne Lowit’s work at Izzy Gallery
Once upon a time, before fashion became such a big, fast business, there was an energy backstage at shows that made you feel as though you were in the eye of the storm. Rife with drama and divas, the level of hedonism and supreme creativity was both new and exhilarating. It was a very private world that precious few camera lenses were allowed to capture…
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ROXANNE LOWIT: “TOUJOURS GLAMOUR” AT IZZY GALLERY IN TORONTO
Roxanne Lowit’s new exhibition “Toujours Glamour,” at Izzy Gallery in Toronto documents three decades worth of photographs celebrating “people with magic,” a phrase Lowit employs to describe the fabulous faces of fashion. The glitz, the glamour — the raw excitement in these photos— are less paparazzi-inspired and more high-level artistry that warm you up in a seemingly effortless way….
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MARY MCCARTNEY’S UNRESERVED AND TENDER MOMENTS – “DEVELOPING”
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Exhibit: The Photographs of Mary McCartney
Mary McCartney, the eldest offspring of Paul and Linda, sister to Stella, has established artistic fame in her own right as a fashion and portrait photographer over the past 20 years. Her work has been featured in Harper’s Bazaar, Tatler, Interview Magazine and Vogue and a selection of her images are featured in London’s National Portrait Gallery Collection. And now her work is coming to Toronto….
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Growing up as Paul McCartney’s daughter
Photographer Mary McCartney, daughter of the legendary Sir Paul, tells Jeanne what life was like growing up the daughter of a Beatle.
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Shinan: Paul McCartney’s progeny is no slouch with a pan, new cookbook would suggest
On one of those nights of a gazillion parties — a hazard of many a season — I mad my first amble into one that involved a no-meat shepherd’s pie.
“Eggplant?” I asked the daughter of a Beatle before me, in Yorkville, last Thursday.
“Mushrooms,” the gracious Mary McCartney mouthed, taking over the din of a boisterous crowd out at Izzy Gallery for her first-time-in-Canada photo show. Her pics – darkly glamorous, and mostly fashion-centric, on and off the catwalk – covered nearly every speck of wall, but I was zero’ing in by asking about her other pet project, a cookbook called Food: Vegetarian Home Cooking….
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VIDEO
Photographer Mary McCartney goes behind the scenes
Mary McCartney, daughter of Paul McCartney and his photographer wife, Linda Eastman, followed in her mother’s footsteps to become a photographer.
She grew up surrounded by the bustle of a show business family and her eye was drawn to what happens behind the scenes – at concerts, fashion shows and at dance performances.
Her work, showing at the Izzy Gallery in Toronto…
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680 news Interview: Mary McCartney
Photographer Mary McCartney has an exhibit at the Izzy Gallery on Yorkville (106 Yorkville Avenue). The daughter of famous parents Linda and Paul McCartney talks to Gloria Martin about her gorgeous black-and-white shots featuring dancers and backstage reveals, finding her own fit in a famous family and whether dad would approve of her more risqué photos!
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MARY MCCARTNEY IN MONOCHROME: AN INTERVIEW WITH IZZY SULEJMANI
This month, British fashion and portrait photographer Mary McCartney will exhibit her work in Canada for the first time, with her debut show, Developing. McCartney will display her works at Izzy Gallery (106 Yorkville), which has featured renowned photographers such as Bert Stern, Lillian Bassman, Ellen von Unwerth, and, most recently, Albert Watson. Preparing to host the year’s most hotly anticipated exhibition, Izzy Sulejmani tells us about the upcoming show, his favourite pieces, and working in gray scale….
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MARY MCCARTNEY: THE FAMILIALLY-BLESSED, SUPER-TALENTED PHOTOGRAPHER HITS TORONTO WITH A NEW EXHIBITION OF HER WORK
Posted by: Emily Thompson May 8, 2013
There is something annoyingly intriguing about a family full of famously talented individuals. We’ve seen it with the Jacksons, the Kennedys, the Coppolas and on the other side of the pond, it’s the McCartneys…..
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Mary queen of shots
A sample of Mary McCartney’s photographs making their Canadian gallery debut….
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Mary McCartney, daughter of Paul McCartney, has photo show in Toronto
When I first screamed my heart out for Paul McCartney at Maple Leaf Gardens back in 1965, I never imagined that years later, I’d not only have the thrill of interviewing the famous Beatle on several occasions but also meeting his beloved first wife, the talented Linda McCartney, who exhibited her photography in Toronto in 1990….
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Mary McCartney gets by with a little help from her dad
Mary McCartney’s life in photographs started when she was just an infant. That baby on the cover of Paul McCartney’s first eponymous solo record, released in 1970, is her, peeking out at the camera from inside the sheepskin coat of her famous father and Beatles co-founder. The photographer was her mother, Linda Eastman McCartney, who early on nurtured Mary, the first-born child of her union with the former Beatle, to share her love and passion for photography.
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A Conversation with Photographer Albert Watson
New York City-based celebrity photographer Albert Watson is a master of his profession. His images have appeared on more than a hundred Vogue covers and countless other publications from Rolling Stone to Time Magazine, many of them featuring now iconic portraits of rock stars, including David Bowie and Eric Clapton, in addition to Hollywood actors like jack Nicholson and Clint Eastwood and other notable high-profile personalities, including Steve Jobs, Mike Tyson, Kate Moss, Sade and Christy Turlington. Exhibited in art galleries and museums around the world, among them the Museum of Modern Art in Milan, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan, and the National Portrait Gallery in London, Watson recently made his Canadian debut at Toronto’s IZZY Gallery (106 Yorkville Ave; izzygallery.com) with a retrospective show called ARCHIVE, which closes on December 27…
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Albert Watson brings his celebrity archive to Toronto
“For the most part, celebrities make terrible models,” Albert Watson told a crowd of over 300 at Berkeley Church on Friday evening. The award-winning Scottish-born photographer, who has shot over 200 VOGUE covers and 40 Rolling Stone magazine images, was in town for the Thursday opening of his latest exhibit, Albert Watson: Archive….
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VIDEO
Albert Watson: Archive revisits striking celebrity portraits
Whether capturing a U.S. president, a willowy supermodel for a fashion magazine or a costumed actor destined to grace a movie poster, noted photographer Albert Watson maintains the same philosophy.
“I treat everybody the same. It doesn’t matter who is in front of the camera,” he told CBC News, during a recent Toronto visit to unveil Albert Watson: Archive, his first photography show in Canada….
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Albert Watson photos
Internationally renowned photographer Albert Watson is getting his first ever show in Canada.
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See Celebrity Photographer Albert Watson’s Photographs in Toronto
The Izzy Gallery will play host to some of the photographer’s most memorable fashion and celebrity images.
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Photographer Albert Watson on getting the stars to pose
Albert Watson was relatively unknown when he got the assignment to shoot Alfred Hitchcock. It was for an article in Harper’s Bazaar about the director’s culinary skills. He was supposed to shoot the director presenting a plate of roast goose under the headline “Alfred Hitchcock cooks his own goose.” But Watson had a better idea. He thought it would be funnier if Hitchcock hoisted an uncooked goose by the neck, as if throttling it. Watson was 31, and directing Hitchcock took nerve. “But he was like an actor,” the photographer recalls. “He brought something to the table. He even did several poses where he pretended to cry.” The shot, taken in 1973, made Watson’s career. …..
Albert Watson photography comes to Toronto
A Kate Moss nude radiates enough sultry sizzle to warm up the rainiest of days. If you are seeking some shelter from this week’s storms, tucked down the stairs on the north side of Yorkville Ave. just east of Hazelton, you will find Izzy Gallery, where Kate Moss, Sade, Jack Nicholson and Mick Jagger are currently hanging…..
Fashion Television – In Fashion : January 2012 : Art of the Photograph: Michael Dweck
Fashion Television has done a segment on Michael Dweck in January 2012.
[On]Air: Island Life
Yesterday, I went to Izzy Gallery to see an amazing photography exhibit featuring works by the award winning photographer, Michael Dweck.
The title of this show is called Island Life and there are two series showing side by side in the gallery. First series is called the Mermaids and all photos are taken in Montauk, Amagansett and the vicinity of the Weeki Wachee River in Florida. Up till this moment, the images are still stuck in my head because Michael has really captured the beauty of a woman underwater. With the help of the water swirls, the photos just become some beautiful art pieces.
The second set is associated with his new book Michael Dweck: Habana Libre and the images are about the secret life in Cuba. The series basically shows you the hidden side of the Cuba society and the images are sexy and provocative. I still cannot get over the huge photo in the gallery! Stunning!
The exhibit will be showing at Izzy Gallery from now till December 10. I truly recommend you to pay a visit to see these amazing photos shot by Michael Dweck! Below is a little taste of what you will expect to see in the exhibit.
thesceneinto.com – SCENE & HEARD: Michael Dweck Exhibits at Izzy Gallery
November 17, 2011
By Editor
Famed photographer’s retrospective exhibit Island Life at Izzy Gallery in Yorkville
The work of Michael Dweck has attracted attention from some of the most influential members of the fashion and art communities including Giorgio Armani, Andrew Rosen, Larry Gagosian, Ricky Sazaki, Madonna, Lisa Perry, Aerin Lauder and Kelly Klein, as well as Ralph Lauren, who has used Dweckʼs photographs in Polo Ralph Lauren ads and in Rugby Ralph Lauren stores.
His latest book, Habana Libre is a provocative look at the new creative class of Cuba. A sexy, sensual series of black and white photos.
Arguably most notable are the never-before-photographed sons of both Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. Dweck is showing a retrospective of his three acclaimed series – HABANA LIBRE, MONTAUK, and MERMAIDS.
Izzy Gallery will be the first Canadian Showing of Dweck’s work. The exhibit runs until December 10.
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Toronto’s Izzy Gallery Presents Famed American Photographer Michael Dweck
exhibition of island-inspired works, including photographs from his latest work HABANA LIBRE TORONTO, Oct. 12, 2011 /CNW/ – Toronto’s Izzy Gallery is pleased to present MICHAEL DWECK: ISLAND LIFE, a retrospective of famed American photographer MICHAEL DWECK’s work in a three-week exhibit this fall. The acclaimed artist’s photographs have become part of important international art collections and shown in major solo gallery exhibitions around the world, in addition to being featured in Vanity Fair, Playboy, Esquire, French Vogue, Details, and The New York Times, amongst others. Dweck will be on hand during the…
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Canada Newswire – Toronto’s Izzy Gallery Presents Famed American Photographer Michael Dweck
TORONTO, Oct. 12, 2011 /CNW/ – Toronto’s Izzy Gallery is pleased to present MICHAEL DWECK: ISLAND LIFE, a retrospective of famed American photographer MICHAEL DWECK’s work in a three-week exhibit this fall. The acclaimed artist’s photographs have become part of important international art collections and shown in major solo gallery exhibitions around the world, in addition to being featured in Vanity Fair, Playboy, Esquire, French Vogue, Details, and The New York Times, amongst others. Dweck will be on hand during the opening reception, November 17th from 7-9 pm.
The MICHAEL DWECK: ISLAND LIFE exhibition coincides with the international release of Dweck’s third and latest book HABANA LIBRE (Damiani editore, $72). In addition to the Canadian debut of photographs from HABANA LIBRE, rare iconic photos from his previous works will be featured including “Sonya Poles” and “Dave and Pam in their Caddy” from THE END: MONTAUK N.Y. (2004) and a selection from MERMAIDS (2008).
“This exhibition marries the underlying theme of all my work, the idea of seduction and its pleasures, with my ‘islander’ spirit formed in part by my time spent on Long Island, New York,” says Artist Michael Dweck.
“We are very honoured to present Michael Dweck’s work for the first time in Canada,” said Izzy Gallery owner Izzy Sulejmani, “Michael is, deservedly, one of the more provocative visual artists of our time and this is an especially exciting opportunity to view the depth and versatility of his collection.”
HABANA LIBRE is an island intrigue, playing on the theme of privilege in a classless society, beauty and art in one of the last communist capitals. It is an insider’s exploration of one close knit group of friends – the creative elite – living the charmed life in Cuba. The elegance and intimacy of this social world and the identities of some of the players adds to the mischief, given that this is happening in Castro’s Cuba.
Dweck’s first series, THE END: MONTAUK N.Y., inspired from his teenage years spent by the beach on Long Island, sold out it its first two weeks, a rarity for a photography book. It portrays the old fishing community of Montauk and its surfing subculture. It is an evocation of a real-world paradise lost: of summer, youth, and erotic possibility; of community and camaraderie in a special place apart – an American version of the Arcadian vision.
MERMAIDS (2008) also has its origins on Long Island, where Dweck often went night fishing along the South Shore and off Montauk. On moonlit nights he was intrigued by the shadowy shapes of fish passing swiftly by just under the surface, and imagined those fleeting forms to be beautiful women -the ancient allure of the mermaid.
Michael Dweck’s photographs were first showcased at Sotheby’s, New York, in 2003, in the auction house’s first solo exhibition for a living photographer. His work is shown at high-profile galleries worldwide including: Staley-Wise Gallery in New York, Fahey/Klein Gallery in Los Angeles, Eric Franck Fine Art in London, Maruani & Noirhomme Gallery in Belgium, Robert Morat Galerie in Hamburg and Blitz Tokyo.
www.michaeldweck.com and www.habanablibrebook.com
Izzy Gallery, established in 2008, is a contemporary gallery with a focus on photography representing Canadian and International artists. Works by Lillian Bassman, John Swannel, Albert Watson, Raul Higuera, Harry Benson, Bert Stern, and more are available at Izzy Gallery. www.izzygallery.com
MICHAEL DWECK: ISLAND LIFE
November 17 to December 10, 2011
Izzy Gallery
106 Yorkville Avenue
Toronto, ON M5R 1B9
http://www.izzygallery.com/Hashtag: #izzygallery
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Photo Life – Michael Dweck to be at Izzy Gallery
September 2, 2011 by Jenny
Toronto’s Izzy Gallery will present a retrospective exhibition of work from New York photographer Michael Dweck this fall. Opening November 17, the exhibition will feature works from Dweck’s latest series, Habana Libre, and from his acclaimed books and series, The End: Montauk N.Y. and Mermaids. His first major photography work, The End: Montauk N.Y., documented the surfing culture of that region, with its book form selling out in only two weeks. Dweck’s 2008 ethereal series and book, Mermaids, focused on the myth of the mermaid and theme of the female form in water. The artist will be in town for the opening exhibition which will coincide with the release of Habana Libre. Dweck’s photography has appeared in many publications, including Vanity Fair, Esquire, French Vogue, and The New York Times. His work was first showcased at Sotheby’s, New York, in 2003, in their first solo exhibition for a living photographer, and has been exhibited extensively throughout the world.
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For some, Bert Stern’s Jewels exhibit is a nostalgic journey; for others, a place to look at shiny things
Stern was a noted fashion photographer when Nigel Barker was still in diapers, and his work—including his shot of Marilyn Monroe’s final sitting—is now on display for all of Toronto to see at Yorkville’s Izzy Gallery from June 16 to July 9. He photographed icons like Twiggy, Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn for Vogue throughout the 1960s, but he’s best known for his series of photographs of Monroe, commissioned by Vogue in 1962 (just six weeks before she died). But for those interested in checking out the show before the show, we have a sneak peek of the bedazzling in a gallery after the jump.
He recreated the Monroe series with nothing-like-the-original Lindsay Lohan for the cover of New York magazine in 2008, and now his photographs of fashion icons—Lohan not included—are travelling around North America. “Jewels by Bert Stern” will embellish the shutterbug’s work with crystals; it sounds like a Bedazzler project gone wrong, but Stern claims this process is meant to “enrich” the work. Toronto’s show is second only to a stint at the Staley-Wise Gallery in New York City’s Soho, but here’s a cocktail party tip: when someone asks, “Did you see the art exhibit in from New York?” chances are they’re probably talking about the AGO’s abstract expressionists.
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Legendary Fashion Photos by Bert Stern
The famous fashion photographer brings his photos of Monroe, Twiggy and more to Canada
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thesceneinto.com – SCENE & HEARD: The Last Icon – An Evening With Bert Stern
June 20, 2011
By Jasmine Yeung
Famed American photographer makes a rare public appearance at Izzy Gallery for the Toronto opening of JEWELS
It is often said that diamonds are a girl’s best friend however upon viewing the exhibit, JEWELS by Bert Stern, one is easily swayed to believe it is in fact the famed American fashion and celebrity portrait photographer himself (and his lens, of course) – over polished gems of any size or rarity – that would be a true priceless addition to any female’s cache.
Recognized for his unconventional techniques and multidisciplinary approaches in telling a story, Stern has been dubbed “the man who gives ideas an image”. Having built a career of epic proportions, even at nearly 82 years of age, Stern continues to push the boundaries and help redefine the subjects of his vast body of work. Through JEWELS Stern has reinvented some of his most iconic photographs. With the use of crystals and jewels overlaid on archival pigment print he proves that he not only knows what women want but he is on point in delivering what we females argue to be a simple wish list: to preserve our youth, to mollify our love of all things shiny, and to “get” us.
34 photographs starring some of the most beautiful and idolized women of our time – Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Twiggy alongside modern-day personalities such as Kate Moss and Lindsay Lohan – are frozen in time at their prime and iridescent with hand-applied jewels. The telling images inform viewers about these women more so then any article or interview.
The use of jewels are measured and placed strategically and with purpose. Viewing the images up-close and centre at the exhibit’s opening reception at Izzy Gallery in Yorkville, I saw the collection as a coronation of sorts; timeless beauties taking centre stage and commanding their place as symbols of a bygone era of glitz and glamour. The small and intimate space, teeming with the city’s well-heeled including Toronto’s own royalty – Jeanne Beker and Mark McEwan – were their admiring court.
The ultimate delight of the evening was having the opportunity to see and “meet” Mr. Stern himself. The reclusive artist who very rarely makes public appearances visited Canada for the first time after much encouragement from gallery owner, Izzy Sulejmani. A fan of Stern himself, Sulejmani compared the feat of securing Stern’s attendance as reaching the top of a mountain.
A man of few words, Stern did not agree to any interviews but that did not stop guests from surrounding him in stunned awe. Upon stepping into his 3-feet bubble – as brief as it was – to receive his autograph, I stumbled upon my own words of genuine gratitude.
Stern signs copies of his Marilyn Monroe: The Complete Last Sitting
Second to Stern’s magnetic pull was a never-before-seen image of Marilyn Monroe. Shot for VOGUE over 3 days in June 1962, only six weeks before her tragic death, the series of over 2,500 images have collectively come to be know as The Last Sitting and are arguably the most famous, albeit, last images ever captured of America’s most famous actress.
Sulejmani shared with The Scene that he had asked Stern for years to do the piece, which now hangs in his gallery. Now complete, the photograph is resplendent. (Teaser: Sprawled nude across an unmade bed, the actress’ famous curves are highlighted in a luminous glow…and fireworks!)
Stern’s raw talent lies in his ability to capture the heartrending humanity of his subjects. Despite their celebrity he introduces to the world the real woman behind the mirage of fame. They are beautiful and confident but removed from the silver screen, they are also human. Vulnerable, filled with emotion, and flawed as indicated by the inclusion of an image of Monroe that was deemed unpublishable by the actress herself, x-ed in red marker.
Visit Izzy Gallery located at 106 Yorkville Avenue to view the JEWELS by Bert Stern exhibit. Don’t miss this very rare opportunity to view the work of the American prototype of the fashion photographer as media star. Trust us! Photographs simply do not do these masterpieces justice.
JEWELS runs until July 9th.
Gallery Hours: Sunday-Tuesday – by appointment only; Wednesday-Saturday – 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Pieces are available for sale; prices available upon request.
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The MMM Blog – I MET BERT STERN!!
SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2011
I am still trying to believe the opportunity that I got on June 16. The reclusive photographer, Bert Stern, was scheduled to attend the opening of his new exhibit “Jewels” in Toronto. Stern, 82, was set for his first visit to Canada to visit the Izzy Gallery where 34 of his photos are on display. A rare feat indeed for such a small intimate art gallery. I learned about Stern’s appearance by reading this online article the day before and immediately made plans to attend.
Marilyn fans the world over have fawned over Stern’s photographs that he took in July 1962 shortly before her death. Regardless of your view on whether he should have published photos that Marilyn herself had X’d out there is no denying his photographs are truly legendary. I am personally a big fan of this time period and Marilyn style and “The Complete Last Sitting” is one of my favourite books.
How is this for dedication – It took me 3 hours to get there with traffic and I stayed for 1 hour and immediately had to turn around and go another 2 hours to get home I was praying the whole time that Stern would not cancel and that he would be civil enough to sign a book for me. It was an experience in itself lugging my copy of The Complete Last Sitting through the subway and walking 4 blocks to get to the gallery.
The Izzy Gallery in located in an area of Toronto known as Yorkville. I had never been there before and was really taken by all the interesting restaurants and shops. There was a doorman at the gallery and as soon as I came through the door was offered some wine. Stern had not arrived yet so I walked around the room and looked at the photographs.
All of the photos were of well known personalities including; Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Kate Moss, Twiggy and of course Marilyn. I enjoyed seeing that he included one of his Lindsay Lohan (left) shots as well. All of the large scale photographs had been adorned by Stern with crystals, hence the name of the exhibit “Jewels”. Stern’s choice of photos were impressive, however, I don’t think the added sparkle worked for all of them. Sometimes I preferred the original untouched photo. One that I did like showed Marilyn holding up a scarf (above) and the added accents worked well.
There was media outside the gallery awaiting Stern’s arrival. When the cameras started flashing I knew that he was really here. He came inside looked at his work along one of the walls and then sat in one of two chairs in the center of the room. I didn’t see anyone else approaching him with a book to sign and was really worried as to how he’d react. I had a really bad experience with another Marilyn photog who refused to sign something so I was a little gun shy as it was. I was thrilled when a guy appeared with his own copy and broke the ice first. I could see Stern sign his book so I was up next.
I bent down and shook his hand. I told him I was a big fan of his work and it was truly a thrill to meet him and if he’d sign my book. He waved to hand him the book and asked my name. I was in total awe watching him sign the book. It was like he was painting a picture. He explained that the little V’s he added were birds. No idea what they represent but I’m thrilled to have them. I thanked him again and that was it.
I stood across from his chair for awhile and watched as the media came into the gallery. The local news was interviewing a young woman who appeared to be with Stern (not sure if it was his wife as I never saw the footage on TV). I noticed Jeanne Becker from Fashion TV crouch down in front of Stern and attempt to get an interview from him. She tried for some time but in the end gave up.
Riding back on the subway I kept looking at the invitation to the event and then the inscription in my book and realized just how amazing the night had been and how lucky I was.
If you live in the Toronto area you can visit Izzy Gallery and see Stern’s latest work until July 9, 2011.
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National Post – Bert Stern: The complete picture
Manori Ravindran, National Post
Wednesday, Jun. 15, 2011
Izzy Sulejmani can’t believe his luck. The Toronto gallery owner stares at a sparkling Marilyn Monroe image by photographer Bert Stern, displayed prominently in his Yorkville space. One of Sulejmani’s heroes, the reclusive Stern, famous for taking photos of Monroe six weeks before her death, is coming to the June 16 opening of JEWELS, a hotly anticipated exhibit of his work at Izzy Gallery.
“This is the top of the mountain to get Bert,” Sulejmani says. “The biggest thing is that he’s coming, because if it’s not New York or a big museum, he doesn’t go for his openings.”
Stern made his mark in the 1950s as an advertising photographer, achieving success with an image of an inverted Giza pyramid for Smirnoff vodka. After joining Vogue in the ’60s, he became one of the pre-eminent fashion photographers of the period.
In 1962, Stern took more than 2,600 photos of Monroe in a three-day period. The semi-nude and nude pictures of the actress were her last posed photographs. Stern’s portfolio came to be recognized as The Last Sitting, and was published in Vogue shortly after Monroe’s death.
Now in his eighties, Stern rarely accepts interviews and makes few public appearances. But there was something about the friendly gallery owner that he liked. Sulejmani says that after remaining largely silent during a New York City business lunch two months ago, the photographer said at the very end, “You’re OK, Izzy. I like you. I’ll see you in Toronto.” After signing the contract, Stern left.
In JEWELS — the first Canadian exhibit of Stern’s work — the photographer provides a new take on his iconic images of Monroe, Twiggy and Audrey Hepburn, among others. The artist has hand-applied crystals, sparkles and paint to large prints of his photographs, creating colourful, original vignettes. The Toronto show also presents a never-before-seen image of Monroe from The Last Sitting. Sprawled nude across an unmade bed, the actress smiles for Stern’s lens. In the background, the artist has adorned the image with red, yellow and blue fireworks.
Sulejmani is still getting used to the idea of Stern coming to the exhibit’s opening. Smiling, he looks around the gallery, where the photographer’s prints are mounted and ready.
“I can’t believe it,” he says. “Every day I call, asking if he’s coming. ‘Yeah, yeah, he’s coming,’ they tell me.”
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LIZ! MARILYN! TWIGGY! PEEP YOUR FAVOURITES IN SOME OF THE MOST ICONIC IMAGES EVER SHOT
Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton have hailed upon Toronto. No, not the real gals, but rather, some of the most iconic and unique images of the starlets and models. Jewels, the new exhibit of famed ’60s photographer Bert Stern, is currently on show at the IZZY GALLERY (on until July 9, 106…
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JEWELS by Bert Stern, Izzy Gallery, Yorkville, Toronto June 16 to July 9, 2011. Opening reception: June 16 Hashtag: #BSternTO
TORONTO, ONTARIO–(Marketwire – 06/13/11) – Editors Note: There is a photo associated with this Press Release.A three-week exhibit, JEWELS, by iconic fashion photographer Bert Stern features 34 portraits of legendary Hollywood stars ranging from Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren, and Audrey Hepburn to modern celebrities Madonna, Drew Barrymore and Kate Moss.The collection includes six extraordinary images of Marilyn Monroe taken during a three-day shoot for Vogue Magazine at the Bel-Air Hotel in Los Angeles-just six weeks before her death in 1962.Bert Stern-known as “the man who gives ideas an image”-built his career using unconventional techniques to tell a story, and at 82 he continues to push the boundaries. In JEWELS, his latest show and his first to be launched in Canada, he has added a new dimension to some of his most iconic photographs by applying crystals as an overlay to archival pigment print.”The results are stunning,” says Izzy, owner Izzy Gallery, who adds that he has admired Bert Stern’s work for many years. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to personally introduce him to Toronto’s vibrant art community.”On June 16, 2011, Bert Stern will be in attendance for the opening of the first Canadian exhibition of his work. All of the framed pieces in the show will be available for sale.”Toronto is emerging as an important and exciting market for artists,” Stern says, “and I am looking forward to my first visit to Canada.”
JEWELS: Photographs of Bert Stern
June 16 to July 9, 2011
Izzy Gallery
106 Yorkville Avenue
Toronto, ON M5R 1B9
http://www.izzygallery.com
Hashtag: #izzygallery
Click here for the full story.
“Last Sitting” Photos of Marilyn Monroe Highlight New Exhibit by Iconic Fashion Photographer Bert Stern
TORONTO, ONTARIO–(Marketwire – June 13, 2011) –
Editors Note: There is a photo associated with this Press Release.
A three-week exhibit, JEWELS, by iconic fashion photographer Bert Stern features 34 portraits of legendary Hollywood stars ranging from Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren, and Audrey Hepburn to modern celebrities Madonna, Drew Barrymore and Kate Moss.
The collection includes six extraordinary images of Marilyn Monroe taken during a three-day shoot for VogueMagazine at the Bel-Air Hotel in Los Angeles—just six weeks before her death in 1962.
Bert Stern—known as “the man who gives ideas an image”—built his career using unconventional techniques to tell a story, and at 82 he continues to push the boundaries. In JEWELS, his latest show and his first to be launched in Canada, he has added a new dimension to some of his most iconic photographs by applying crystals as an overlay to archival pigment print.
“The results are stunning,” says Izzy, owner Izzy Gallery, who adds that he has admired Bert Stern’s work for many years. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to personally introduce him to Toronto’s vibrant art community.”
On June 16, 2011, Bert Stern will be in attendance for the opening of the first Canadian exhibition of his work. All of the framed pieces in the show will be available for sale.
“Toronto is emerging as an important and exciting market for artists,” Stern says, “and I am looking forward to my first visit to Canada.”
JEWELS: Photographs of Bert Stern
June 16 to July 9, 2011
Izzy Gallery
106 Yorkville Avenue
Toronto, ON M5R 1B9
http://www.izzygallery.com
Hashtag: #izzygallery
Opening Reception: Thursday, June 16, 6 – 7:30
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The Zoomer Week In Review – May 6, 2012
May 6, 2012
By Libby Zhalmer
On this episode of the Zoomer Week in Review – Libby goes behind the scenes at Baycrest to learn about their new online dementia diagnostic test! Robbie Lane interviews the famous Canadian Singer/Songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. Libby visits Ellen Von Unwerth’s exhibition at the Izzy Gallery in Yorkville. – See more at: http://www.zoomerradio.ca/shows/zoomer-week-in-review/podcast-zoomer-week-in-review/the-zoomer-week-in-review-may-6-2012/#sthash.jesDumGI.dpuf
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Flare.com – 11 ICONIC FASHION PHOTOS BY ELLEN VON UNWERTH
Greatest Hits: Ellen von Unwerth
By Mosha Lundström Halbert April 26, 2012
Legendary fashion photographer Ellen von Unwerth makes her Canadian debut at the Izzy Gallery in Toronto in an exhibition titled “Caught!” Walk through her greatest hits inside the intimate space which runs from April 19 to May 19.
Why did you decide to bring your work to Toronto?
“This is my first exhibit in Canada and it’s a collection from different books and things I had out. I got contacted by Izzy and he asked me if I wanted to show in Canada so I said great – it’s a good way to come and visit and I love exploring new places.”
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Portrait of the anti-lady: Ellen von Unwerth’s 6 most incredible muses
Greatest Hits: Ellen von Unwerth
Legendary shots from Caught!, the superstar German photographer’s latest exhibition, on now at Toronto’s Izzy Gallery.
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ET Canada – Ellen Von Unwerth Celebrity Photographer
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Stileggendo….Spunti Di Vista – Ellen Von Unwerth
VENERDÌ 27 APRILE 2012
PATRIZIA
Ellen von Unwerth è una fotografa e regista tedesca, specializzata nell’erotismo femminile.
Claudia Schiffer, Carla Bruni e Victoria Beckham sono solo alcuni dei volti celebri raffigurati sulle pareti della Galleria Yorkville di Izzy, che accoglierà la prima mostra della celebre fotografa tedesca a Toronto.
“Amo le donne, amo quando sono orgogliose di essere femminili e sensuali”, dice la fotografa, che ha lavorato come modella prima di effettuare lo switch verso l’altro lato della macchinetta fotografica.
E proprio questa esperienza di modella che l’ha spinta a diventare lei stessa un fotografo , la noia che ha vissuto durante le riprese di moda convenzionali.
Le sue fotografie sono state pubblicate su riviste come Vogue, Vanity Fair, Interview, The Face, Twill, Arena, L’Uomo Vogue ed I-D, e lei stessa ha pubblicato numerosi libri fotografici. Nel 1991 ha vinto il primo premio al Festival internazionale della fotografia di moda.
La mostra di Ellen von Unwerth, sarà aperta al pubblico 20 aprile alle Izzy Gallery di Toronto. Per ulteriori informazioni, visitare izzygallery.com.
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Elle Canada – Ellen von Unwerth in Toronto: In conversation with a top fashion photographer
April 23rd, 2012
by Ava Baccari
Ellen von Unwerth, the rock star of fashion photography, is glancing around the Izzy Gallery in Yorkville, where life-sized photographs of her iconic shots cover the walls. She’s struggling to select her favourite snap. “They all have something I love in them,” she muses after a moment of hesitation. Then she points to a photograph of Italian actress Monica Bellucci, stripped down to a matching leopard-printed bra and panties. “This shot is from the first photo shoot I ever did with [Monica],” von Unwerth recalls with the sentimental attachment of a proud mother. “And she was actually just changing in the motor home. It was really its own moment. I’ve shot her so many times since but those pictures are still my favourite.”
That’s because von Unwerth— named one of TIME’s top 100 all-time fashion icons—prefers to capture “stolen moments” rather than posed portraits. For the first time since von Unwerth shot to fame in the ‘80s, the self-taught German photog is displaying a retrospective of her work in Toronto. A selection of the frisky, bombshell icons von Unwerth has snapped over the years, Caught! is a decadent visual walkthrough of old-school female glamour.
A von Unwerth signature
The thing about a von Unwerth photo is that it’s instantly recognizable. Take the iconic Claudia Schiffer Guess campaign from 1989, a prime example of von Unwerth’s trademark moody, eroticized aesthetic—a gorgeous woman teasing the camera with a mix of innocence and cheeky come-hither sensuality. “I always go for glamorous,” says von Unwerth, a vision herself in a gold sequined blazer and side-swept, piecey blond bun. “I don’t like the girl-next-door look.”
This year, von Unwerth and Schiffer revisited that timeless shoot for Guess’s 30th anniversary. “We tried to recreate those old pictures,” says von Unwerth, of the campaign, which was shot in Sorrento, Italy. “People sometimes don’t notice that it’s not the same campaign! Claudia still looks amazing.”
Click here some of von Unwerth’s most mesmerizing shots from the exhibit.
thestar.com – Celebrity photographer Ellen von Unwerth shines a light on fantasy
April 23, 2012 00:04:00
David Livingstone
SPECIAL TO THE STAR
Toronto gallery owner Izzy Sulejmani is on a roll. He has set out to present the works of photographers whose pictures of women are among the best ever taken.
Last year at his Izzy Gallery at 106 Yorkville Ave., he presented exhibitions by Lillian Bassman, a champion of natural elegance, and Bert Stern, who famously distilled the mad, sad beauty of Marilyn Monroe.
Sulejmani now has another feather in his cap. On Thursday night, he hosted the opening of Caught!, a choice selection of images by Ellen von Unwerth, who earned her place in photography books by capturing female sexuality of a kicky, kinky, often comical and always liberating kind.
Interviewed before the opening of her Toronto show — which features a dozen or so large-scale prints, all but one in black and white — von Unwerth doesn’t present herself as one of the women in her sultry images.
With her mop of platinum hair, twinkling pale blue eyes, sunny disposition, fully buttoned-up clothes and tomato red nail polish, von Unwerth is not Victoria Beckham, whom she photographed in thigh-high fishnet hose. Nor is she Claudia Schiffer, looking all tousled in a lace bustier in the 1989 picture from the Guess campaign that established the names of both Schiffer and von Unwerth.
Then again, Schiffer is not the sex kitten seen in the picture either. “She’s not really like that,” says von Unwerth, “but she gives you that fantasy once you photograph her.”
To mark Guess’ 30th anniversary in retail, Schiffer appears in a new campaign that was again shot by von Unwerth. “In front of the camera, she still gives that little Brigitte Bardot thing,” says the photographer. “She’s very playful, super fun to photograph and very professional. You don’t find that so often these days.”
These days, what von Unwerth finds are models who are “very, very skinny” and “very, very young.” But she doesn’t lament the times. She has played under the big top long enough to know the circus moves on.
And the current fashion makes von Unwerth look better than ever. The trash that she has always relished — with an open mind and a winking eye — is now taken earnestly. Compared to Kim Kardashian and the housewives of Vancouver, a corseted Schiffer looks innocent, timeless and fresh.
It’s no wonder then that von Unwerth’s career seems refreshed. Time magazine recently included her on its list of All-Time 100 Fashion Icons. And just as the Guess campaign was attracting attention, von Unwerth was one of four artists invited to make short films marking the opening of a Joe Fresh store on New York’s Fifth Avenue. Hers will be a Russ Meyers-style escapade called Miami Vixens!
And next fall, von Unwerth, whose photos look like frozen frames from a motion picture, hopes to begin work on a feature-length movie.
Past the glamour of fashion and cinema, von Unwerth’s personal life is stable and low key. Born in Germany in 1954, she has homes in Paris and New York but lives mostly on a plane. For 22 years, she has been married to Christian Fourteau, a business person with interests in music. They have a daughter who will graduate from university next month with a degree in comparative literature.
While von Unwerth has always been a fan of Bardot and her movies, the photographer’s meeting with the icon was a banal encounter. She had gone to a cat shelter to adopt a pet, and there ran into the screen legend turned animal activist. “She was being interviewed for television. She still had the ’70s hair, with little dried flowers in the hair,” remembers Von Unwerth, who, proving her appreciation for the gift of being alive, adds, “It was kind of amazing.”
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National Post – Women on top: Germany’s Ellen von Unwerth brings her playfully provoking photos to Toronto
Matthew Wright, National Post
Wednesday, Apr. 18, 2012
Claudia Schiffer, Carla Bruni and Victoria Beckham are just a few of the famous faces pictured high on the walls of Yorkville’s Izzy Gallery, ready for renowned German photographer Ellen von Unwerth’s first Toronto exhibition.
“I have a very loose kind of way shooting people,” von Unwerth says of the playful and provocative shots. “They are living in front of the camera more than posing for it.” The 58-year-old photographer is perhaps best known for the sensual tone of her work — images that the owner of the gallery, Izzy Sulejmani, says only a woman of von Unwerth’s nature could get away with taking.
“I love women, I love when they are proud of being feminine, sensual and empowered,” says the photographer, who worked as a model herself before making the switch to the other side of the lens.
Aside from “Nudes at the Royalton,” a shot of two bare-chested female models pulling sweaters over their heads, the closest any of the 14 photos on display will come to explicit nudity are two close-ups of a woman’s backside, one clad in a black Victorian corset and the other in a white one.
“It’s nice when art shocks people, because then they have something to say about it,” Sulejmani says. “A flower in a vase looks nice, but the conversation stops there.”
The most provocative shots in the exhibit, which opens April 20, are tame compared to von Unwerth’s more “European” pieces, some of which seem to challenge the line between art and pornography. But she says even her most raunchy fetish work, often depicting “power games,” is tasteful and their reception is less surprising to her native German and French audiences than may be the case in North America.
“I think Europeans have a different way of looking at nudity than Americans. For us it’s not a big deal, it’s our body,” von Unwerth says. “But it’s very different in America … I see most of my work as more fun than provocative.”
The prints on display are both inviting and easy to engage with. And despite their sexually charged content, the work is often contrasted with more conservative settings, which von Unwerth says are influenced by 1940s and ’50s photography.
“I love very old places, I don’t really like modern surroundings; and I love old bars and old hotel rooms,” von Unwerth says. “The atmosphere and the high heels and bras … it’s just fun and very sexy.”
Von Unwerth shot Schiffer’s first Guess ad in 1989, which helped propel them both into the international spotlight. On display at Izzy Gallery will be a photograph of the German supermodel admiring herself in the rearview mirror of a vintage car.
“I kind of discovered her; I created that glamorous look; it made her famous,” von Unwerth says, “and I guess it got my name out there, too.”
Von Unwerth says that part of what inspired her to become a photographer was the boredom she experienced with being “told to pose a certain way” during conventional fashion shoots.
“I hated it so much that now I try to do the opposite — to capture a lived moment in front of the camera.”