looking forward to this one; a new book on the amazing ‘guy bourdin, due to be published in november by quality publisher ‘steidl’
In Between demonstrates Guy Bourdin’s unique conceptual and formal engagement with the double-page spread as an art form in itself. This concept appeared in his first published image for French Vogue (1955), a photograph of a model with an Haute Couture Dior hat captured alongside an array of butchered cow heads. This visual, a signature piece emblematic of the classic elements of Guy Bourdin’s entire oeuvre, stands firmly as one of the most daring fashion images of the 20th century. Guy Bourdin’s ‘double page spread’ became a landmark in the history of advertising photography. His compositions gave new form to ideas about product-illustration creating independently arresting images that invited the reader to participate or witness. Guy Bourdin was both the narrator of a fantastic ‘mise en scene’ as well as the choreographer of the magazine page, garnering all the more attention for his advertising clients such as Charles Jourdan.
With 300 images, In Between re-assembles many of the original image layouts as they were published in magazines such as French Vogue, British Vogue, Vogue Italy, Harper’s Bazaar, Linea Italiana and The Best, offering a new and illuminating critical context to the creative process. Guy Bourdin tailored his compositions to the constraints of the printed page both conceptually and graphically, and the mirror motif so central in his work finds its formal counterpart in the doubleness of the magazine spread. Layout and design become powerful metaphors for the photographic medium, engaging the eye and with it, the mind.
(many thanks to ‘martin’ for the tip)
