Peter Lindbergh: Photographer Who Created ’90s Supermodel Era
Exactly a week has gone by since Peter Lindbergh’s passing at age 74.
He was born Peter Brodbeck on November 23 1944 in Poland. Having studied abstract art during college, he was heavily influenced by Joseph Kosuth and the conceptual art movement. He later turned his attention to photography and his work has been presented on an international scale ever since.
The celebrated German fashion photographer and film maker is responsible for creating some of the most iconic images in the industry, launching the era of ‘90s supermodels (including Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss) with his best known black and white photographs. During the 1990s Lindbergh’s images became homage to the new modern women.
Profoundly known for his dislike of the excessive photoshopping in commercial photography, which was the norm back then — his very humanist and unvarnished approach to beauty is what had made him so special.
“A fashion photographer should contribute to defining the image of the contemporary woman or man in their time, to reflect a certain social or human reality.”
“How surrealistic is today’s commercial agenda to retouch all signs of life and of experience, to retouch the very personal truth of the face itself?”
“This should be the responsibility of photographers today to free women, and finally everyone, from the terror of youth and perfection.”
Refusing glossy perfection, “the photographer cares little about who designed the outfits and focuses rather on reaching the still centre of the character of the models who wear them”. Then, regarding his profession as a fashion photographer, journalist Suzy Menkes concludes that “he is more an artist because he paints with light. He gets the most beautiful light, the most beautiful expression. It is also the approach he has with people: very friendly, very human, very normal. You feel comfortable when you’re with him, so people just give everything.”
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