This Monday's film club proved to be slightly different to previous shown, as this time we viewed a fashion film rather than a fashion related documentary.
The film chosen was a 70's cult classic, named the 'Eyes of Laura Mars'. The film embodies the 70's era in a nutshell, oversized fur coats, tinted aviator shades, flared jeans (the list goes on!).
Laura Mars is a controversial fashion photographer who begins to have visions in which she can foresee brutal murders, little does she know that in fact the murderer is now hunting down herself.
Laura Mars is a controversial fashion photographer who begins to have visions in which she can foresee brutal murders, little does she know that in fact the murderer is now hunting down herself.
Mars' photography is perceived by characters in the film to be controversial due to it's explicit and violent nature.
This got me thinking.
Photography similar to Mars' in this film is as present in today's society as when it began to progress in the 70's with the help of various photographers such as Guy Bourdin and Helmut Newton.
Consider the photographer Terry Richardson for example, or 'Uncle Terry' as some may call him. Richardson is known for his overexposed 'nearly naked' shots of various high profile celebrities, not to mention he was also chosen to photograph several risqué American Apparel ads.
In fact only a few days ago an editorial for Interview Magazine titled 'The Surreal Life' featuring a famous 'Jenner', shot by Steven Klein was released, which caused a great uproar. 'A gold wheel chair? Disability isn't a glamour fad', one individual wrote.
Not only is the Jenner shot in a wheelchair, but she is carried and placed in several unnatural positions similar to a sex doll dressed in head to toe patent throughout the images.
Here are a few other shots that have proved to be controversial in the past decade.
A Tom Ford advertisement for his first men's fragrance.
Inspired by Bourdin perhaps?
Heavily made up young girls shot for Vogue Paris.
Overall I do most often enjoy the mischievous and playful feel to most of these images, like most American Apparel advertisements or the above Tom Ford image. However I am yet to form an opinion upon such images as 'The Surreal Life'.
What is clear to me now is that images classed as controversial are a lot more directly controversial than they have ever been. Gone are the days of Bourdin capturing artistic images of women's legs laid out upon train tracks, it seems that the 21st century approach to such an image is to ensure that she is stripped, and almost naked. Of course this is not the case for all perceived as controversial, however it does seem to me that individuality and flair is fading, hence why most have taken such a raw approach to imagery. Perhaps also to gain publicity?
What are your thoughts?! I'd love to know!
- A
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