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Contact Sheet for Personal Interest Assignment

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Personal Interest (10/10)

“symmetry”

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Personal Interest (9/10)

“self love”

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Personal Interest (8/10)

“watching you”

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Personal Interest (7/10)

“self reflection”

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Personal Interest (6/10) “it’s a man’s world”

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Personal Interest (5/10)

“bridges”

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Personal Interest (4/10)

“women are also strong”

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Personal Interest (3/10)

“camera shy”

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Personal Interest (2/10)

“side profile”

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Personal Interest (1/10)

“night on the town”

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Personal Interest Assignment: Horst P Horst

Interview with Horst P Horst: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yz5S2lGL3i0

The artist I chose to do my personal interest assignment on was Horst P Horst. Although he was not listed as one of the photographers we learned about, I have always been fascinated with his work and the way he was able to express the shapes of the human body in photos. Growing up, I have always loved fashion and one of my first ever magazine subscriptions was to Vogue; and I cannot think of Vogue without thinking of Horst P Horst. 

Originally named Horst Paul Albert Bohrmann, Horst became best known for his countless pictures of beautiful women, in high fashion. He simply had the eye to make look stunning, at any angle, using any form of light. Surrealism and Neoclassicism is most closely related to his style of photography. He liked to show off women’s bodies, instead of hiding them, and dressed his models in the most tasteful fashion. The models were posed with the goal of being mysterious. 

Born in Germany and studied in Paris, Horst found himself working for Vogue in 1931 and he eventually moved to New York. There he made his work known all around the world as photography’s alchemist. His techniques consisted of: double exposures, avant-garde styles, nudity and more. Horst was described by the New York Times stating, “Horst tamed the avant-garde to serve fashion”. He thought outside the box and made sure to connect his love of life to his work. In his photos, an audience can clearly see his use of lighting to create shadows and shapes in order to enhance the beauty of his models. 

Horst left a lasting impression on people. Madonna attributed him in her single  “Vogue” while Bruce Weber stated, “ The elegance of his photographs ... took you to another place, very beautifully ... the untouchable quality of the people is really interesting as it gives you something of a distance ... it's like seeing somebody from another world ... and you wonder who that person is and you really want to know that person and really want to fall in love with that person”. 

Although I find all his work captivating, there are four in particular that stand out to me. Firstly is arguably one of his most famous photos, “Mainbocher Corset”. Everything about this picture is beautiful. From the shadows and depth in her back, to the way her body bends with the corset; it seems and looks effortless while telling a powerful message of “beauty is pain”. 

The second photo I love is “Round the Clock (Variant)”. This picture was definitely ahead of its time. I cannot get over the shape the bottom of the dress creates and the shadows of her legs long with it. Even though a face is not shown, the tone of this shot is very clear: playful. That's exactly what Horst wanted, liveness to be shown through his work. 

The third picture that truly captured my attention was “Luchino Visconti”. Horst is remembered for all his work making the female model look desirable, however, he also photographed men. Here he took a portrait of Luchino Visconti, a well known Italian film and opera director. I love this picture because he also made men look elegant. The placement of his hand on his crossed legs mirrored the poise and confidence Visconti had. The contrast in his suit and clouds emphasized the Mediterranean features of Visconti: olive skin and dark hair.

Finally, the last picture done by Horst, “Having a Ball”, set the bar really high. Using color instead of black and white, this photo made it to the cover of Vogue in her summer beauty issue. I love the use of shapes again here and how carefree the shot is. From the perspective of where he took this picture, it gives the illusion that the model is holding a huge red ball, effortlessly, with her elongated legs; truly a masterpiece. 

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in need for a clean up. 

transformation project (10/10)

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it’s recycle day. 

transformation project (9/10)

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stop in the name of the environment. 

transformation project (8/10)

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no produce for sale, sorry. 

transformation project (7/10)

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one man’s trash, is another man’s treasure. 

transformation project (6/10)