Bourdin, renowned not only for his
illustrious photographical career, but also for turning up at the French Vogue
headquarters on a Camel and for picking his models solely by their star sign,
not forgetting he also tried to dye the sea a deeper shade of blue and took sleeping pills in abundance in order to dream more lucidly.
While working as a model I soon
noticed a direct correlation between most photographers I worked with, they all
spoke so highly of this one they called Guy Bourdin, and he was constantly
placed on a pedestal atop the photography hierarchy along with Helmut Newton.
It wasn’t long before I researched him myself and fell in love with his sombre
and glamorous work. Although he was a
fairly secretive creature regarding his work, demanding it all be destroyed upon
his death while declining offers of book deals and exhibitions, he heavily
influenced a generation, models and photographers alike, with his complex
scenes and erotic narratives. Not forgetting that he influenced Madonna’s
Hollywood video so much that it eventually brought on a lawsuit from his son
for copyright infringement.
Besides his work, when I first began
researching Bourdin, I soon happened upon the mysterious suicides of his wife
and two girlfriends. Although it is barely mentioned as a side note I couldn’t
help but be enormously intrigued as he took on a living Peeping Tom style
existence in my mind.
Here at SKIN, we present the BBC
produced documentary Dreamgirls in its entirety. The program, first aired in
1991, caused much controversy as it narrates a story of an eccentric master of
mind games who treated his models with vehement cruelty as he pushed them to
the limit. However, whether it be truth or mere sensationalism is hard to tell.
Dreamgirls is a must see for all Guy
Bourdin fans as it documents the headliners of his career through rare and
exclusive, voyeuristic super 8 footage shot by Bourdin himself, while featuring
interviews with:
Jerry Hall,
Susan Moncur, model
Serge Lutens,
Michel Bourdin, half-brother
Helmut Newton, photographer
Francine Crescent, French Vogue 1957
- 87
Jean - Baptiste Mondino,
photographer & video director
Grace Coddinton, American Vogue
Isi Veleris, friend
Phillipe Garner, Sotheby's
Dreamgirls - The photographs of Guy Bourdin by f100000594777400
