Ever since I read about the exposition of Helmut Newton in Knokke, I wanted to go. And…I was not disappointed – it is definitely an expo worth seeing! 300 Iconic photo’s by the sea still to see till September 25. But I’ll gladly take you on a little trip through the controversial world of Newton.
Dubbed the King of Kink, Helmut Newton, one of the great photographers of the twentieth century, radicalized fashion photography by redefining the way women were portrayed in advertising for haute couture. Newton paved the way for fashion photography to become more provocative, and more daring.
Newton expressed through photography the idea that women’s sexuality could give them power. The women he portrays are independent, and in command. He encourages the viewer to question the sexual objectification of women by forcing them to confront their own voyeuristic gaze. In an interview he explained, “I love vulgarity. I am attracted by bad taste – it is a lot more exciting than supposed good taste, which is nothing more than a standardised way of looking at things.” Can nudity be a symbol of empowerment?
His photos will speak to you, for good or for bad, but I promise that they won’t leave you indifferent. For example the photo for Hermès of a woman with a horse saddle on her back. You could be moved by the image of a submissive woman…but if you look a little better at the photo, you can see that it is she who is wearing the boots with spurs and you can wonder…Not to say that Hermès was not very pleased…
As Newton’s career developed, he began taking portraits of celebrities, photographing everyone from David Lynch and Madonna to Nicholas Cage, and Andy Warhol. Actress Charlotte Rampling famously posed naked for him in a portrait for Playboy. He also photographed some controversial political personalities, including French politician Jean-Marie Le Pen, and the British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, of whom he said, “As she became more successful and more powerful, she seemed to me to become even sexy”. As he said, “My job is to seduce, amuse and entertain,” an ethos which is apparent in many of his portraits.
In addition to the more than 300 prints displayed, there is a 50 minute film about Newton. ‘Helmut by June’ is a documentary film, shot and directed by June, his wife of 56 years. She goes behind the scenes of several of the photo shoots. It provides an intimate look into his private life and the couple’s remarkable relationship. From a photo shoot with Cindy Crawford and Helena Christensen in Saint Tropez to a visit to Billy Wilder’s office in Beverly Hills, it reveals the man behind the many provocative images. And you will be surprised at his humor and playfulness.
If Newton’s work was controversial, I believe it’s because he expressed the contradictions within all of us, and particularly within the women he photographed so beautifully: empowerment mixed with vulnerability, sensuality tempered by depravity. Newton deepened our understanding of changing gender roles, of the ways in which beauty creates its own kind of power and corruption. On top of that, his compositions are brilliantly precise, cinematic in their scope and in their storytelling.
The prints at the exposition are from the Helmut Newton Foundation. The curator, Kaat Celis said that last week a Newton was auctioned for 2,3 million! My favourite one, is the one above 🤩.
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