Bruce Weber (photographer)

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Bruce Weber
Photographer Bruce Weber.jpg
Weber in September 2011
Born (1946-03-29) March 29, 1946 (age 77)
Greensburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Residence Miami, Florida
Occupation Photographer, filmmaker
Spouse(s) Nan Bush

Bruce Weber (born March 29, 1946) is an American fashion photographer[1] and occasional filmmaker.[2] He is most widely known for his ad campaigns for Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren,[3] Pirelli, Abercrombie & Fitch, Revlon, and Gianni Versace, as well as his work for Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair, Elle, Life, Interview, and Rolling Stone magazines.

Life and work

Weber's fashion photography first appeared in the late 1970s in GQ magazine, where he had frequent cover photos. Nan Bush, his longtime companion and agent, was able to secure a contract with Federated Department Stores to shoot the 1978 Bloomingdales mail catalog. He came to the attention of the general public[citation needed] in the late 1980s and early 1990s with his advertising images for Calvin Klein, and his portrait of the then young actor Richard Gere. His straightforward black and white shots, featuring an unclothed heterosexual couple on a swing facing each other, two clothed men in bed, and model Marcus Schenkenberg barely holding jeans in front of himself in a shower, catapulted him into the national spotlight.[citation needed] His photograph for Calvin Klein of Olympic athlete Tom Hintnaus in white briefs is an iconic image.[vague] He photographed the winter 2006 Ralph Lauren Collection.

A Weber photograph in the background on display at an Abercrombie and Fitch store

Some of Weber's other earliest fashion photography appeared in the SoHo Weekly News and featured a spread of men wearing only their underwear. The photos became the center of controversy and Weber was told by some that he would never find work as a fashion photographer again. This reputation stuck with him, as he says: "I don’t really work editorially in a large number of magazines because a lot of magazines don’t want my kind of photographs. It’s too risky for them.".[4]

After doing photo shoots for and of famous people (many of whom were featured in Andy Warhol's Interview magazine), Weber made short films of teenage boxers (Broken Noses),[2] his beloved pet dogs, and later, a longer film entitled Chop Suey. He directed Let's Get Lost, a 1988 documentary about jazz trumpeter Chet Baker.

Weber's photographs are occasionally in color; however, most are in black and white or toned shades.[2] They are gathered in limited edition books, including A House is Not a Home and Bear Pond, an early work that shows, among other models, Eric Nies from MTV's The Real World series.

Weber began collaborating with crooner Chris Isaak in the mid-1980s, photographing Isaak in 1986 for his second album, Chris Isaak. In 1988, Weber photographed a shirtless Isaak in bed for a fashion spread in Rolling Stone.[5] Isaak appeared in Let's Get Lost and Weber has directed a music video for Isaak.

Weber photographed Harry Connick, Jr. for his 1991 album Blue Light, Red Light.

In 1993, Weber photographed singer-songwriter Jackson Browne for his 1993 album I'm Alive.

Bruce Weber at Condé Nast publishing house in Milan, photo by Giovanni Dall'Orto

Weber is married to Nan Bush, with whom he sometimes collaborates. He has lived in Miami since 1998.[6][7]

Fashion label

Weber created the fashion label Weberbilt in 2003; his first line, "eat, swim, sex, sleep", went on sale in boutiques in London and Miami Beach, Florida, in 2004.[8]

Filmography

Feature films and shorts

Year Title Length Cast
1987 Broken Noses 75:00 Andy Minsker
Beauty Brothers (Part I-IV) 12:26 Paul Dillon, Brian Dillon, Tim Dillon, Rodney Harvey, Maya Oloe
1988 Let's Get Lost 119:25 Chet Baker, Chris Isaak, William Claxton, Flea, Lisa Marie, Rodney Harvey
1991 Backyard Movie 8:55
1994 Gentle Giants 14:35
1996 The Teddy Boys of the Edwardian Drape Society 3:45
2000 Chop Suey 94:00 Peter Johnson, Robert Mitchum, Diana Vreeland, Jan-Michael Vincent
2004 A Letter to True 78:00 Julie Christie (narrator), Marianne Faithfull (narrator), Dirk Bogarde, Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Smith, Tully Jensen
2006 The Legend of True 11:35
A Tribute To The Delta Society 2:23
Best Friends 3:44
2007 Wine and Cupcakes 12:10 Angela McCluskey, Paul Cantelon
2008 Looking for Chet, again, in all the familiar places 25:00
The Boy Artist 9:00
You Feel Me? 3:36
2009 Liberty City is like Paris to Me 16:00

Music videos

In 1990, Weber directed the music video for the Pet Shop Boys single "Being Boring". He filmed a party with a diverse group of models. The video was filmed in one day by two film crews in a house on Long Island. Content including male and female nudity prevented the video from being played on MTV in the United States. In 1996 he directed the video for the Pet Shop Boys single "Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)" on location in a Wet 'n' Wild, a water park near Orlando, Florida. In 2002, he again directed a Pet Shop Boys video, for the song "I Get Along" from the album Release. Weber filmed this video on location at his own Little Bear studio in New York City. He also directed the music video for the Chris Isaak song "Blue Spanish Sky".

Year Song Title Length Artist Album
1988 Everything Happens to Me 3:42 Chet Baker Let's Get Lost (Soundtrack album)
1990 Being Boring 4:55 Pet Shop Boys Behaviour
1991 Blue Spanish Sky 4:13 Chris Isaak Wicked Game
1996 Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is) 4:50 Pet Shop Boys Bilingual
2002 I Get Along 5:46 Pet Shop Boys Release
Light My Fire 3:44 Will Young From Now On

Bibliography

Books and monographs

Year Title Pages Publisher Genre
1977 Looking Good:
A Guide For Men
Hawthorn Books
(U.S.)
by Charles Hicks; all pictures by Bruce Weber
1978 Etre Beau:
Un Guide Pour Les Hommes
Guy Authier
(France)
French edition of Looking Good: A Guide For Men
1983 Bruce Weber Twelvetrees Press
(U.S.)
First monograph
1983 The Sun and the Shade
Florida Photography, 1885–1983
Norton Gallery
West Palm Beach
(U.S.)
Exhibition catalog for an exhibit curated by Weber
1984 Interview Magazine Andy Warhol/Interview
(U.S.)
Special edition on American Athletes of the 1984 Olympic Games; all pictures by Bruce Weber
Photographs Of Athletes Olympus Gallery
(U.K.)
Published upon the exhibition held in London (U.K.) at the Olympus Gallery
1986 O Rio De Janeiro Alfred A. Knopf
(U.S.)
Monograph
Summer Diary 1986 Condé Nast (Vogue Italia)
(Italy)
Special insert of the Italian magazine Per Lui; all pictures by Bruce Weber
1987 The Andy Book Shotaro Okada
(Japan)
Monograph on Andy Minsker, star of Broken Noses
Bruce Weber Idea Books
(Italy)
Catalogue of the exhibition held in Venice, (Italy) at Palazzo Fortuny
1988 Bruce Weber Alfred A. Knopf
(U.S.)
Monograph
Let's Get Lost: A Film Journal Little Bear Press
(U.S.)
Published in conjunction of the feature film Let's Get Lost
1990 Bear Pond Bulfinch Press
(U.S.)
Monograph
Sam Little Bear Press
(U.S.)
Monograph on Sam Shepard starring Jessica Lange
Great Contemporary Nudes
1978–1990
C-Two Gallery
(Japan)
Published upon the exhibition held in Tokyo.
(Box containing three books dedicated to the three participating photographers, Bruce Weber, Robert Mapplethorpe and Herb Ritts.)
1991 Bruce Weber Fahey Klein Gallery
Parco Exposure Gallery
(U.S. / Japan)
Published upon the exhibition held in: New York at the Fahey Klein Gallery and in Tokyo at the Parco Exposure Gallery
Calvin Klein Jeans Condé Nast (Vogue)
Calvin Klein
(U.S.)
Speciale insert of Vanity Fair, all pictures by Bruce Weber
1992 Hotel Room With A View Smithsonian Institution
(U.S.)
Monograph in the series "Photographers at Work"
1994 Gentle Giants Bulfinch Press
(U.S.)
Monograph dedicated to the Newfoundland dogs
No Valet Parking Photology
(Italy)
published upon the exhibition held in Milan (Italy) at the Galleria Photology
1996 A House Is Not A Home Bulfinch Press
(U.S.)
Monograbhy
You Can Take The Boy Out Of Vietnam
But You Can't Take Vietnam Out Of The Boy
Condé Nast (Vogue Italia)
(Italy)
Special insert of the Italian magazine L'Uomo Vogue published upon the exhibition Vietnam, Versace, Viaggi, Weber, held in Milan at Palazzo Reale
1997 Branded Youth and Other Stories Bulfinch Press
(U.S.)
Monograph
Pirelli Calendar Pirelli
(Italy)
1998 Calendar, starring: Patricia ArquetteGeorgina GrenvilleDaryl HannahShalom HarlowEva HerzigovaKirsty HumeElaine Irwin MellencampMilla JovovichKiara KabukuruTanga MoreauCarolyn MurphyRachel RobertsStella Tennant

and
B.B. KingBonoPaul CadmusFrancesco ClementeKris KristoffersonJohn MalkovichEwan McGregorDermot MulroneyDan O'BrienSonny RollinsKelly SlaterFred Ward

1999 The Chop Suey Club Arena Editions
(U.S.)
Monograph on Peter Johnson
2000 Shufly Little Bear Press
(U.S.)
Monograph
2001 Roadside America TeNeues Publishing
Stern Portfolio
(Germany)
Monograph No. 22 of the "Stern Portfolio" series
All-American Little Bear Press
(U.S.)
1st book of the "All-American" series
2002 All-American II
Short Stories
Little Bear Press
(U.S.)
2nd book of the "All-American" series
Pirelli Calendar Pirelli
(Italy)
2003 Calendar, starring: Alessandra AmbrosioMariacarla BosconoSophie DahlYamila Diaz-RahiIsabeli FontanaBridget HallFilippa HamiltonHeidi KlumKarolína KurkováJessica MillerSienna MillerRana RaslanEva RiccobonoLisa Seiffert • Valentina Stilla • Natalia Vodianova

and
Marcelo Boldrini • Stéphane Ferrara • Tomasino Ganesh • Alessandro Gassman • Jak Krauszer • Ajay Lamas • Richie LamontagneEnrico Lo Verso • Davide Battista • Massimo Boninsegna • Giuseppe Conte • Luca di Marino • Pasquale Malzone • Raffaele Marciano • Alberto Perini • Serafino Roncacè

2003 All-American III
Family Album
Little Bear Press
(U.S.)
3rd book of the "All-American" series
Hope:
A Letter To True
Condé Nast (Vogue Italia)
(Italy)
Special insert of the Italian magazine L'Uomo Vogue
Thank Your Lucky Stars:
John R. Hamilton
Little Bear Press
(U.S.)
A behind the scenes look at hollywood celebrity by hollywood photography veteran, John R. Hamilton.[9]
Forward by Peter Bogdanovich
2004 All-American IV
Otherworldy
Little Bear Press
(U.S.)
4th book of the "All-American" series
2005 Blood Sweat And Tears:
Or How I Stopped Worrying And Learned to Love Fashion
TeNeues Publishing
(Germany)
Monograph
Home Is Where The Heart Is TeNeues Publishing
Stern Portfolio
(Germany)
Monograph Nr. 38 of the "Stern Portfolio" series
Filmography CK Entertainment Company
(Japan)
published upon the exhibition held in Tokyo at the Original True Gallery
All-American VI
Is Love Enough?
Little Bear Press
(U.S.)
5th book of the "All-American" series
2006 Sex And Words Visionaire
(U.S.)
Monograph
All-American VI
Larger Than life
Little Bear Press
(U.S.)
6th book of the "All-American" series
Kate Moss
Is The Girl That Got Away
Condé Nast (Vogue Paris)
(France)
Speciale insert of the French magazine Vogue Hommes International on Kate Moss
2007 All-American VII
'Til I Get It Right
Little Bear Press
(U.S.)
7th book of the "All-American" series
2008 All-American VIII
Nature's Way
Little Bear Press
(U.S.)
8th book of the "All-American" series
2009 Roberto Bolle
An Athlete In Tights
TeNeues Publishing
(Germany)
Monograph on Roberto Bolle
Cartier
I Love You
TeNeues Publishing
(Germany)
Monograph on Cartier
All-American IX
A Near-Perfect World
Little Bear Press
(U.S.)
9th book of the "All-American" series
2010 Standing Tall:
Portraits of the Haitian Community in Miami, 2003–2010
Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami
(U.S.)
published on the exhibition held in Miami at the Museum of Contemporary Art
All-American X
Written In The Stars
Little Bear Press
(U.S.)
10th book of the "All-American" series
2011 All-American XI
Just Life
Little Bear Press
(U.S.)
11th book of the "All-American" series
2012 All-American XII
A Book Of Lessons
TeNeues Publishing
(Germany)
12th book of the "All-American" series
2013 All-American XIII
Born Ready
TeNeues Publishing
(Germany)
13th book of the "All-American" series

Other books

  • Rolling Stone: The Photographs, Simon & Schuster Editions (1989), pp. ??-??
  • Pictures Of Peace, Alfred A. Knopf (1991), pp. ??-??
  • Bruce Hainley and David Rimanelli, Shock of the Newfoundland: Bruce Weber's canine camera, "Artforum International 33" (April 1995), pp. 78–81.
  • Il Tempo E La Moda, Skira; Exhibition Catalogue: "Biennale Firenze" (1996), pp. ??-??
  • Gianni Versace, Rock and Royalty, Abbeville Press (Febbraio 1997), pp. ??-??
  • David Leddick, The Male Nude, New York: Taschen (1998), pp. ??-??
  • Pirelli Calendar 1964–2004, Rizzoli (2004), pp. ??-??
  • Heel To Heal (2004), pp. ??-??
  • Paintings of New York, 1800–1950 (2005), pp. ??-??
  • Monica Bellucci, Rizzoli (2010), pp. ??-??
  • Kate Moss, Rizzoli (2012), pp. ??-??

References

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  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Maslin, Janet (March 24, 1989), Review/Film Festival; The History of a Musician's Disintegration, New York Times.
  3. McNulty, Bernadette (May 24, 2008). "Chet Baker: 'There aren't a lot of people like Chet left'", The Telegraph.
  4. Carroll, Rosemary, "Bruce Weber", BOMB Magazine, Spring 1985. Retrieved October 24, 2012.
  5. Chris Isaak by Bruce Weber
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  8. Bruceweber.com
  9. Bruceweber.com

External links