A groundbreaking exhibition at Somerset House is revealing the exceptional artistic talent of Guy Bourdin, the legendary fashion photographer whose work continues to gain recognition and acclaim over time. The comprehensive multi-chapter exhibition demonstrates how time has unquestionably validated Bourdin's remarkable abilities, presenting visitors with a show full of unexpected discoveries that showcase his inventive, obsessive, playful, and intensely creative approach to photography.
The exhibition brilliantly displays Bourdin in all his artistic glory, revealing the full spectrum of his creative personality - from his inventive and playful nature to his more perverse, intense, mischievous, and distinctly Surrealist sensibilities. This major retrospective provides viewers with an unprecedented look at the photographer's unique vision and his ability to transform ordinary scenes into extraordinary works of art.
The first gallery, located on the lower level of Somerset House, takes an unexpected but highly persuasive approach by dedicating the entire space to a single extended advertising campaign for luxury shoe brand Charles Jourdan. This remarkable body of work was created during an August 1979 road trip across Britain, during which Bourdin used a vintage black Cadillac as both transportation and a key visual element in his compositions. The car makes sinister appearances throughout the shoot, adding an ominous undertone to the campaign.
In a bold creative decision that exemplifies his unconventional approach, Bourdin chose to photograph a pair of display mannequin legs rather than using a live model to showcase the sophisticated Charles Jourdan shoes. This unusual choice creates a disturbing and surreal quality that runs throughout the entire campaign, transforming what could have been standard product photography into something far more artistic and memorable.
Bourdin's genius lies in his ability to transform the most mundane British locations into dramatic and unsettling dreamscapes. He took commonplace seaside scenes, architectural wastelands, and even tasteless interior spaces and converted them into melodramatic and disconcerting settings for his photography. These ordinary locations became the perfect backdrop for the disturbing, disembodied legs that serve as the focal point of each image.
The sheer volume of creative ideas and inventive picture-making techniques demonstrated in this single road trip campaign is remarkable, showing how Bourdin could generate an endless stream of innovative concepts even within the constraints of a commercial project. The curators have made a particularly strong curatorial decision by presenting this cohesive body of work in its entirety, allowing visitors to fully appreciate the depth and consistency of Bourdin's vision.
After experiencing the concentrated impact of the Charles Jourdan campaign in the lower gallery, visitors are encouraged to explore the upper galleries, where they can discover other fascinating facets of Bourdin's wide-ranging creativity and artistic output. The exhibition structure effectively builds anticipation and provides a comprehensive overview of the photographer's influential career and lasting impact on fashion and art photography.
