Helmut Newton

Helmut
photographer Helmut Newton died in a car crash last week, aged 83.

he was born in Berlin in 1920, in 1957 he moved to Paris. it would take until 1975 before he had his first solo exhibition. later he would become famous with his cool erotic and glamorous images.

he was at times controversial. for instance in his series ‘Big Nudes’ in 1980.
“the idea for these came to him when he saw the wanted posters of the Baader-Meinhof terrorists. they had been taken in life-sized full length before a white background and made an extremely naked impression on Newton. because of these and other pictures showing undressed women with classic sadist-masochist fetishes he attracted vehement hostility from feminists. they felt his photos discriminated against women, were pornographic and even fascistic.”

the accusation that he discriminates against women was and is, however, ‘bullshit’ for Helmut Newton. he feels it was all ‘a feminist misunderstanding’. ‘My women always triumph.’