VANTAG galeria: Ritts

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Ritts

No one epitomized 80s and 90s cool quite like Herb Ritts. Sleek, stylish and totally transportive his images successfully bridged the gap between art and commerce, bringing an abstract approach to photographing celebrity culture.

Helena Christensen, Malibu, 1996

Making the most of the L.A. landscape – he often shunned the studio, capturing his intimate portraiture and sculptural nudes against the bright and beautiful Californian sunlight to create bold contrasts.

Naomi Campbell, 1990

He shot the supermodels as they became a phenomenon – most famously in his 1989 nude image of Stephanie Seymour, Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, Tatjana Patitz, and Naomi Campbell— which became an emblem of the 1990s era of the supermodel. His campaigns for Calvin Klein, Chanel, Armani and Versace were remarkable for their clean lines and elegance.

Versace Veiled Dress,1990

“The way Herb Ritts photographed you was the way you wanted the world to see you." Cindy Crawford

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Introducing the visual language of fashion photography to the music video – Ritts brought his talents to directing some of the most memorable videos of the 1990s – from Janet Jackson’s ‘Love Will Never Do’, to Madonna’s ‘Cherish’ and Chris Isaak’s ‘Wicked Game’. His indelible influence can be clearly seen today in the visuals for Lana Del Rey’s ‘West Coast’ and Beyonce’s ‘Drunk in Love’.

Male Nude with Tumbleweed,1986

Sadly passing away in 2002 at age 50, he left behind a body of work which included 40 covers for Vanity Fair alone, 50 television commercials, 13 music videos and hundreds of magazine spreads. Take a look at our selection of Herb Ritt’s most seminal images – and immerse yourself in his effortless mastery of minimalism, beauty and form.