A GUN FOR HIRE!
Groundbreaking, provocative images. Cinematic and erotically charged narratives that, throughout his 50-year career, were a mainstay of the pages of Vogue as well as many other publications. His images pushed the boundaries of fashion, art and advertising helping revolutionise photography forever. A photographer that hated political correctness, who merged fashion photography with fetishism and nudity which earnt him the nickname ‘The Father of the Nude’ and ‘The King of Kink’. His images, often controversial, conflict opinions still to this day with some calling them empowering and some misogynistic. ‘A gun for hire’ or a great artist? Whatever your opinion, for me, he is undoubtedly one of the most inspiring and greatest photographers of all time. There is only one Helmut Newton!
SELF PORTRAIT - HELMUT NEWTON 1920 - 2004
My love for this ‘great of photography’ has led me to recently add to my ever-growing book collection with the ‘Helmut Newton - Autobiography’. I’ve read it twice already! It’s a fascinating insight into Newton’s life and career and a great addition to my Newton collection. And it inspired me to write this short blog with a little more info about one of my heroes of photography. To explore all of the facets of Newton and his work would probably take a lifetime!
THE MASTER PROVOCATEUR.
Newton, who was born in 1920, writes extensively about his work and career but also the more personal elements of his life. Growing up as a German-born Jew and his early life in Berlin. Escaping Nazi Germany for Australia, via Singapore in 1940 and his time in the army. Newton goes into detail about meeting June, his wife of over 50 years, in his tiny photography studio in Melbourne in 1946. And, how from those small beginnings and with the support of June, his ambition, skill for storytelling and image-making helped him forge an unprecedented career working around the world with magazines, fashion houses, brands and celebrities right up until his death in 2004 in a car accident in LA.
Throughout his career, the controversial nature of Helmut Newton’s images earnt him a reputation for nudes or ‘kink’ and as a provocateur and he definitely polarised opinions. But it would be a disservice to Helmut Newton to try and pin him down as a photographer of only fashion, only nudes, or only portraits. His work encompasses multiple genres. If you’ve never seen any of Newton’s work then I’ve included a gallery of some of his more famous images below to give you a sense of the style and sometimes provocative nature of his photography.
BAD OR BEAUTIFUL?
If Newton’s work interests you, then there’s also a fantastic documentary available on Amazon Prime called ‘Helmut Newton: The Bad and the Beautiful’ released in 2020 that is worth watching. Showing in-depth interviews with the photographer, behind the scenes footage from some of his shoots as well as interviews with some of the incredible fashion directors, models and celebrities he worked with. The documentary explores ‘Helmut Newton’s unique and striking way of depicting women’ and also asks the question ‘did he empower his subjects or treat them as sexual objects?’
Many feminists claim he was a misogynist in the way he depicted women, despite many of his models and subjects suggesting quite the opposite. But these are questions I will leave for you to decide from your own research on this ‘infamous’ photographer.
But for the record! I don’t believe he was a misogynist. I don’t think he was a person who ‘disliked, despised or was strongly prejudiced against women’ as per the definition. Quite the opposite! Was he demanding in order to create the vision he had for a shot? Yes, at times, I have no doubt he was. But, what artist or creator isn’t when they have a vision? Male or female? But did he hate women! I highly doubt it!
Having read his autobiography, I believe he loved and was fascinated by women, but also by sex. He writes openly about his sex life, relationships with women (before marrying June in 1948) and his fascination with sex in the book. One part talks about how on occasion, in his youth, he would visit bordellos and found himself captivated by the lavish interiors and the beautiful women. Newton’s love of women and sex clearly influenced his image-making later in life and contributed to his fame and notoriety as a provocateur. A title that I think he revelled in.
A GUN FOR HIRE OR AN ARTIST?
Love him or hate him, Helmut Newton is one of the most imitated photographers of all time. His volume of work alone is extraordinary. He was prolific and during his career, his images crossed the divides between fashion, commerce and art.
There have been countless exhibitions of Newton’s work over the years and his images have been printed into beautiful large-format photography books. The most famous of which is Sumo, a book so large it comes with its own stand.
HELMUT NEWTON - SUMO
Newton’s images are now sought after, collected and sell for hundreds of thousands in art galleries and auction houses around the world. Which is so interesting to me and, in some sense, ironic, as Newton never really considered what he did as ‘art’.
It’s interesting for me, and I’m sure many other fans of his work, who hold Newton up as one of the most recognised and greats of photography, that he never considered his photography as an art. I certainly do!
I think though, that this feeling towards his work might have changed later in his career. In October 2003, a few months before his death, Helmut and June established the Helmut Newton Foundation (HNF) in Berlin– dedicated to the preservation and presentation of his own photographic works, and those of his wife, who was an exceptional photographer and artist in her own right. June often created under the pseudonym Alice Springs, exhibited her work and produced a number of her own books.
HELMUT & JUNE.
And it’s the relationship between Helmut and June that’s the final thing I want to mention. Throughout their 50 year marriage, June played an integral role in Helmut’s success. In his career, June helped Helmut with ideas and shoot production. Curated some of Helmut’s exhibitions and also helped in the production of some of Newton’s most famous books. It’s also interesting that in some cases, June acted as a form of ‘moral barometer’ to let Newton know when he was, perhaps, going too far in his quest to be the ‘master provocateur’.
It’s also clear that Helmut and June loved each other deeply. I’m sure, like all relationships, over 50 years it was complex. But, as shown in the documentary, even in ‘later life’ they still showed a cheeky and playful love for one another that, I’m sure, many would be envious of. It’s true what they say, ‘Behind every great man there’s a woman!’
HELMUT NEWTON - June included in the shot.
There are so many things that could be said or written about the life and work of Helmut Newton but that could possibly take a lifetime, as I’ve already said. But, I hope you now have a small insight into one of the photographers that inspires me the most. If you like the style of Newton's work then I encourage you to go and do your own research into this icon of photography. I've included links below to as many of the books that I could find on Amazon.
As a ‘Gun for Hire’ (commercial photographer), I’ve never had the same levels of freedom and creative control that Newton was allowed in his work. If you've been reading the blog for a while you'll know that's one of the main reasons for starting Creative Nowhere Land. So, it's time for less writing and more creating. With Helmut as my inspiration, be prepared for anything!
Thanks for sticking with me until the end of this blog, I know it's a bit of a long read. I appreciate you being here and being part of this journey. If you haven't already please consider signing up for the newsletter to stay up to date with all things Creative Nowhere Land. Until next time! Explore, Inspire, Create!
HELMUT NEWTON BOOKS:
TITLE IMAGE PHOTOGRAPHY: CREATIVE NOWHERE LAND
MODEL: KAT