Famous Art Nude Photographers
A) The “American Classics”…
Man Ray - (August 27, 1890 – November 18, 1976), born Emmanuel Radnitzky, was an
American artist who spent most of his career in Paris, France. Perhaps best described
simply as a modernist, he was a significant contributor to both the Dada and Surrealist
movements, although his ties to each were informal.
Best known in the art world for his avant-garde photography, Man Ray produced major
works in a variety of media and considered himself a painter above all. He was also a
renowned fashion and portrait photographer. He is noted for his photograms, which he
renamed "rayographs" after himself.
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Edward Weston - Born on March 24, 1886, in Highland Park, Illinois, Edward Weston's
father gave him his camera at age 16. Much of his photography in the early 1920s can be
identified as Pictorialist style, meaning they imitated paintings. In 1923, he traveled to
Mexico, where he opened a photographic studio with his lover, Tina Modotti. During this
time, Weston took a number of the portraits and nudes for which he's known today.
Several Mexican artists of the time, including Diego Rivera, David Siqueiros and Jose
Orozco, called Weston a pioneer of 20th century art. In 1926, Weston returned to the
United States, settling in California, where he continued to create—nudes, close-ups,
natural forms and landscapes, among several other works. In the 1940s, he took several
portraits of his family members that are now considered among his best work. In 1946,
New York City's Museum of Modern Art featured retrospective exhibit of Weston's work
that included 300 prints. Weston died in Carmel, California, on January 1, 1958.
http://www.edward-weston.com/edward_weston_nudes.htm
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images;_ylt=A0LEVx6DbKNT8w8A_1pXNyoA?
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Ruth Bernhard - Born in Berlin in 1905. In 1927, after two years at the Berlin
Academy of Art, Ruth moved to New York where she began to seriously pursue a career
in photography. Eight years later she met Edward Weston in California and was deeply
moved by his work. He revealed to her the profound creative potential of photography
and its artistic implications. Desiring to work with him, she moved to the West Coast
shortly thereafter.
In 1953, she moved to San Francisco and became a colleague of Ansel Adams, Imogen
Cunningham, Minor White and Wynn Bullock. She has lectured and conducted master
classes throughout the United States through her 95th birthday.
Ruth Bernhard’s work can be found in most major museum collections throughout the
world, including the George Eastman House, Museum of Modern Art in New York, The
Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris. Her photographs
have been shown internationally in major exhibitions for over fifty years and widely
published. In 1986, Photography West published an acclaimed monograph of her nudes
entitled The Eternal Body which received Photography Book of the Year and brought
Bernhard widespread acclaim as a photographer of the nude.
"My aim is to transform the complexities of the figure into harmonies of simplified forms
revealing the innate reality, the life force, the spirit, the inherent symbolism and the
underlying remarkable structure – to isolate and give emphasis to form with the greatest
clarity."
http://oficinouno.com/ruth-bernhard
Robert Farber - Farber’s style has helped to influence a generation of photographers
through vast public exposure of his work. His Nine coffee table books have sold well
over a half a million copies. Seventy of his images have been published as posters and
distributed worldwide. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis brought Farber into Doubleday to
publish his book By the Sea, which won the Art Director's award for color photography.
"Today there are tens of thousands of serious photographers seeking new interpretations
of the beauty of the female form. There is but a handful whose work truly interests us by
revealing different ways of seeing and understanding this beauty. Robert Farber is one of
the very few who is able to delight and please us in this elusive approach to nature. From
abstraction to realism he reveals to us his love of the female form. His delightful and
beautiful photographs offer a unique pleasure." - Arnold Newman April, 2001
http://www.farber.com/fine_art/Pages/nudes.html#grid
B) European Modernists
Helmut Newton – Born Helmut Neustädter in 1920 to a well-to-do Berlin family,
Helmut Newton purchased his first camera at 12 and as a teenager apprenticed with noted
German theatrical photographer Yva (Else Simon). Due to the passing of the anti-
Semitic Nuremberg Laws in 1935, his father was briefly interned in a concentration
camp. In 1938 Newton’s parents were forced to flee to Chile; and the 18-year-old
Newton traveled alone to Singapore.
In 1940 Newton was interned by British authorities as an “enemy alien” and shipped to
Australia, where he was placed in a camp from 1940 to 1942. He was released to serve in
the Australian Army until the end of the war, gaining Australian citizenship in 1945 and
changing his name to Newton. Finally a free agent, he opened a photography studio in
Melbourne and met his wife, June Browne. She went on to play an integral role in
Newton’s career: she modeled for him, curated his exhibitions, and edited his books
(including the three publications the MFAH exhibition is based on). She also became a
photographer herself, shooting under the pseudonym Alice Springs.
During the 1950s Newton shot for British and Australian Vogue, and settled in 1961 in
Paris, where Newton joined French Vogue. As American Vogue editor Anna Wintour
states in the exhibition catalogue, Newton’s work went on to be “synonymous with
Vogue at its most glamorous and mythic.” Newton helped transform fashion
photography from a mere photographic report of current styles to an alluring presentation
with mise-en-scène and a narrative. In addition to his magazine work, Newton was much
sought-after for commissions by a variety of institutions, from fashion houses and
jewelry designers to car manufacturers. In many cases, Newton would be on a
professional shoot and adjust the shots to become more sexually suggestive, adding these
second “takes” to his personal body of work.
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option=com_datsogallery&Itemid=104&func=viewcategory&catid=3
Frantisek Drtikol (3 March 1883, Příbram – 13 January 1961, Prague) was a Czech
photographer of international renown. He is especially known for his characteristically
epic photographs, often nudes and portraits. From 1907 to 1910 he had his own studio,
until 1935 he operated an important portrait photostudio in Prague on the fourth floor of
one of Prague's remarkable buildings, a Baroque corner house at 9 Vodičkova, now
demolished. Jaroslav Rössler, an important avant-garde photographer, was one of his
pupils. Drtikol made many portraits of very important people and nudes which show
development from pictorialism and symbolism to modern composite pictures of the nude
body with geometric decorations and thrown shadows, where it is possible to find a
number of parallels with the avant-garde works of the period. These are reminiscent of
Cubism, and at the same time his nudes suggest the kind of movement that was
characteristic of the futurism aesthetic. He began using paper cut-outs in a period he
called "photopurism". These photographs resembled silhouettes of the human form.
Jan Saudek (b. 13 May 1935 in Prague, Czechoslovakia) is a Czech art photographer
and painter. Saudek's father was a Jew[1] and this, coupled with his Slavic (Czech)
heritage, caused his family to become a target of the Nazis. Many of his family members
died in the Theresienstadt concentration camp during World War II. Both sons and father
survived the war. According to Jan's biography he got his first camera, a Kodak Baby
Brownie, in 1950. After completing his military service, he was inspired in 1963 by the
exhibit catalogue of Steichen's Family of Man to try to become a serious art
photographer. In 1969 he traveled to the United States and was encouraged in his work
by curator Hugh Edwards.
Returning to Prague, he was forced to work in a clandestine manner in a cellar, to avoid
the attentions of the secret police, as his work turned to themes of personal erotic
freedom, and used implicitly political symbols of corruption and innocence. From the late
1970s he gradually became recognised in the West as the leading Czech photographer,
and also developed a following among photographers in his own country. In 1983 the
first book on his work was published in the English-speaking world. The same year he
finally becomes a freelance photographer as the Czech Communist authorities allowed
him to cease working in the print shop, and gave him permission to apply for a permit to
work as an artist. In 1987 the archives of his negatives were seized by the police, but later
returned.
Saudek currently lives and works in Prague. His best-known work is noted for its hand-
tinted portrayal of painterly dream worlds, often inhabited by nude or semi-nude figures
surrounded by bare plaster walls or painted backdrops, frequently re-using identical
elements (for instance, a clouded sky or a view of Prague's Charles Bridge). In this they
echo the studio and tableaux works of mid nineteenth century erotic photographers, as
well as the works of the painter Balthus, and the work of Bernard Faucon. His early art
photography is noted for its evocation of childhood. Later his works often portrayed the
evolution from child to adult (re-photographing the same composition/pose, and with the
same subjects, over many years). Religious motives or the ambiguity between man and
woman have also been some of Jan Saudek's recurring themes.
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C) Contemporary Figurative / Art Nude Photographers
Pascal Baetens (Swiss -1963 – ) After a traditional education, Pascal chose to develop
his artistic creativity by becoming a photographer. Since 1994, he has been creating
portraits, fashion, nudes as well as travel assignments for editorial, commercial and
private clients, including Elle, Men's Health, FHM and Maxim.
His collections of subtle nudes have been published in several art books 'The Fragile
Touch', 'Allegro Sensibile' ('The Art of Nude Photography' USA-edition), 'Heavenly
Girls' ('Heavenly Beauties' USA-edition), 'A Pocketful of Nudes', and the how-to-book
'Nude Photography, the Art and the Craft'. His work has also been featured in various
notable books on modern photography and exhibited throughout Asia, Europe and North
America.
Pascal Baetens has an extensive program of lectures and workshops. He lives and works
at Salve Mater, the former psychiatric hospital/monastery in Lovenjoel, Belgium.
http://www.pascalbaetens.com/site/contentpage.php?
meth=gt&id=15&openid=15&opennivid=4
Patrick Demarchelier, Born in Le Havre, (France, 1943), is one of the privileged few
top photographers of our time. At the age of 17, he started photography. Through
different jobs as an assistant, he learned the secrets of the profession and at the end of the
sixties; he got his first publications in Elle and Marie-Claire.
In 1975, Demarchelier moved to New York, where he established himself a reputation in
fashion and portrait photography. His client list includes names such as Calvin Klein,
Ralph Lauren, Versace, Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Armani, or Janet Jackson, Nicole
Kidman, Madonna and Hillary Clinton. He became the official photographer of the
Condé Nast group, who owns magazines such as Vogue and Allure. He photographed for
the Pirelli calendar 2005 and is assigned for the 2007 edition.
Influenced by the classics of photography and painting, Patrick Demarchelier plays with
light, lines and forms of the human body, the fashion cloth or the wild elephant in the
African landscape, always looking for beauty. assigned for the 2007
http://www.younggalleryphoto.com/photography/demarchelier/demarchelier.html
Marc Baptiste – Born in Port Au Prince, Haiti. His early experiences growing up on the
beautiful island would serve him well, when at age nine he moved to the US.
Marc brings a unique heat and cinematic beauty to proceedings, resulting in a sense of
atmosphere that sublimates mere aesthetics. Consequently he is a trusted and sought after
favorite of both Hollywood and the music world. His client list includes trend-setters, A-
listers and those residing on the cutting edge of creativity including; Pharrell Williams,
Katheryn Winnick, Shakira, Jamelle Monae, among many others.
Marc has compiled three volumes celebrating the female form, beginning with 2001:
Beautiful – Nudes by Marc Baptiste, followed by Intimate in 2003, and Innocent, in 2006.
His has been published in a marquee lineup of international print publications including:
Cosmopolitain, Vanity Fair, Essence, British Marie Claire, Esquire, and Ebony. His
commercial work is distinguished for its appeal in global markets.
http://www.judycasey.com/photographers/marc-baptiste/viewby:category/category:nudes
Gary Breckheimer - A New York City-based photographer, and has been pursuing his
craft for over two decades. After attaining a BFA from Brooks Institute, he moved to
New York City and eventually to Europe, where he was published in many international
magazines. MAX Mag, Playboy, Vogue sposa to name a few, for his fashion and
portraiture.
Breckheimer then made the transition from Fashion to Fine Art, and developed a
propensity for Black & White imagery. He predominantly focuses on juxtaposing the
perceptible beauty of the female form against our manufactured environment. His intent,
he explains, “is to allow viewers to contemplate the relationship of man and his urban
environment. Observing my choice of location, placement and positioning of the model,
use of props, along with my use of light and lines, each viewer is able to surmise his or
her own conclusion about the relationship of man and his environment. This is why there
is an element of the unexpected, mixed with an overtone of solitude yet erotica in his
work. As an artist, his goal is to create photographs where the story, the meaning is not
immediately obvious, but to take photos that lure viewers back for deeper consideration
so that his vision of man’s relationship and sexuality can spawn infinite conclusions.
Breckheimer has been recognized for his vision by numerous awards, the prestigious,
International Photography Award for Fine Art Nude, The Spider Awards, B&W
Magazine, Erotic Signature and others, and featured in many books & publications
including Nude Magazine, B&W, Fine Art Nudes, Erotic Signature, Mammoth Erotic
Photography, Art Collector Magazine and many others.
http://www.garybreckheimer.com/
Mick Payton - Mick Payton’s working life started in the less than artistic domain of steel
engineering. A career change saw him venture briefly as a driving instructor, before a
chance photoshoot with an aspiring model lead to the realisation that, although raw in
essence, there was considerable potential in a life for him behind the lens. Steadily, the
number of aspiring and subsequently established models wanting their portfolios
enhanced by Mick Payton’s grasp of high quality atmospheric photography grew. His
workload developed to a point where he was able to make a full time vocation from what
was fast becoming his passion. In the years that followed, his style became a forebearer
for modern tasteful erotica, with Mick Payton becoming one the first erotic
photographers to find widespread commercial acceptability within his chosen genre of
art, and as a result has been the featured subject in many high quality magazines and a
one hour documentary transmitted throughout Europe in 2003 and again in 2004.
Since 1998, Mick Payton has been commissioned for more than four calendars every
year, including both male and female erotica, with many international best sellers across
several continents to his name. In 2013 his career continues from strength to strength,
with a regular stream of global commissions and a flourishing collectors market for both
his limited edition and open edition prints. Mick Payton is the UK’s leading nude and
erotic photographer “ not only is his work critically acclaimed and exhibited globally, but
he has also achieved success where many have failed. In a market that many find tough to
understand, let alone break in to and profit from, Mick Payton produces work that sells.
His techniques and understanding of atmospheric imperatives that drive cognitive and
subconscious appreciation for the nude and erotic photograph, has ensured a fruitful
career in his chosen field with continuous international licensing agreements for posters,
calendars and fine art open as well as limited edition collectors prints. The subject of
many book and magazine features internationally as well as TV documentaries in Europe
and the USA, his popularity and acclaim continue to grow, leading to a demand for his
knowledge to be passed on to amateur and professional photographers alike.
Through a series of workshops and seminars throughout the UK and branching out into
Europe in 2009, Mick enjoys passing on the knowledge that he had to learn the hard way.
Having no one to to give help and advice at the beginning of his career, he is determined
to assist other photographers who want to pursue the same direction, and he is becoming
as well known for his liberal and unselfish distribution of knowledge as he is for the
quality of his images.
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