In honour of what would have been Robert Mapplethorpe‘s 70th birthday, Juergen Teller will be curating a retrospective of the iconoclast’s vast and provocative body of work – ‘Teller On Mapplethorpe’ – at London’s Alison Jacques Gallery.

No photographer since Robert Mapplethorpe has so seamlessly blurred the lines between commercial fashion photography and art as Juergen Teller, and both artists are famed for twisting and manipulating conventional understandings of photography as an art form. The gallery is said to have granted Teller free access to Mapplethorpe’s entire archive of both published and unpublished work, circumstances that facilitate a deep and rich reading of the rebel artist’s work. Without a doubt, to view Mapplethorpe’s photographic oeuvre through Juergen Teller’s visionary lens promises to be a unique and rarefied experience.

Milton Moore, 1981

Mapplethorpe sought an unrealistic perfection of form in everything he photographed, from acts of sexual fetishism to the delicate shapes and contours of flowers. His classical and formalist approach to scandalous and highly explicit subject matter elevated photography to the level of painting and broke down the barriers between pornography and art.

Alison Jacques, who has represented the Estate of Robert Mapplethorpe in Britain for seventeen years, said: “Provocative and subversive, making images which are the antithesis of conventional fashion photography and, most importantly, a key artist of his time, Juergen Teller was the only choice to curate this special exhibition of Robert’s work. There are obvious parallels between these artists and I am excited to see how Juergen will bring his edge, energy and unique vision to a new reading of Robert’s work.”

Jennifer Jakobson, 1981

This will be the gallery’s first exhibition of Mapplethorpe’s works since the dual retrospective ‘Robert Mapplethorpe: The Perfect Medium’ at The J. Paul Getty Museum and Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Los Angeles (2016), and follows on from the recent release of the HBO documentary film Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures (2016).

‘Teller On Mapplethorpe’ will be held at the Alison Jacques Gallery from 18th November – 7th January.

Alisonjacquesgallery.com

Main image: Ken Moody, 1985

Tags: Alison Jacques Gallery, Juergen Teller, Robert Mapplethorpe

Having graduated from Westminster in 2014, Emma Charles racked up an impressive list of experiences before she decided to launch her own label. An intern with Preen during their AW12 collection, Charles spent time at Tom Ford and Stella McCartney, before returning to Preen in 2014 to work as their Archivist Manager. Here, she developed 13 looks for influential women in the industry, including Man Repeller’s Leandra Medine.

“These two years spent with the brand really pushed me in all directions. I was able to absorb everything from my surrounding environment, witnessing the whole process of a collection from sampling, sales, press, production to e-store distribution. Having gained all this knowledge, I felt that I could use it to benefit myself as a brand.”

Emma Charles, AW16

The first Emma Charles collection embodies the core values at the hear of the designer’s ethos: “My ideal woman is creative and has a strong interest in art and fashion. She is more likely to buy into the ‘fun’ yet sophisticated pieces in the collection.” Each piece in the collection reflects this balance, with an aesthetic that marries a smart approach to tailoring with a modern femininity. This aesthetic has evolved from a detailed study of tailoring, and Charles is heavily inspired by menswear from the ’20s and ’50s. “Evenly beautiful fabrics and embellishment play a huge part of my design aesthetic, especially bringing them together to create harmony between masculinity and femininity,” she says. It is these many dualities and contrasts that make her designs exciting.

Emma Charles, AW16

At the beginning of her new venture, Charles is ambitious about where she wants the brand to go: “My goal is to showcase my collections on runway, hopefully within two to three years. Until then I am conscious to work with new exciting photographers, set designers, stylists and casting directors to produce timeless look books.” Amongst dream collaborators she cites photographers such Juergen Teller, Scott Trindle, Jamie Hawsworth and Glen Luchford and stylists such as Jane How. With talent and drive such as this at play, we advise you to watch this space.

Emmacharles.co.uk

Tags: Emma Charles, Glen Luchford, Jamie Hawsworth, Jane How, Juergen Teller, Leandra Medine, preen, Scott Trindle, Stella McCartney, Tom Ford

Spanning the realms of music, art, film, literature and fashion – Issue 14 is an exploration of the female perspective: From Alexa Chung’s personal musings on the pull and perversity of astrology, to director Elizabeth Wood’s controversial position of power within new Hollywood. We also see girl-of-the-moment Heather Kemesky shot by Maciek Kobielski while swathed in every day detritus, meet actress on the rise Anya Taylor-Joy, discover Louis Vuitton’s cosmic universe through the lens of Juergen Teller and dismantle ‘black sheep feminism’ with the work of artists Betty Tompkins, Joan Semmel, Anita Steckel, and Cosey Fanni Tutti. Ben Rayner also photographs some of the most exciting musicians to be following right now.

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Tags: alexa chung, Anita Steckel, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ben Rayner, Betty Tompkins, Cosey Fanni Tutti, Elizabeth Wood, Heather Kemesky, Joan Semmel, Juergen Teller, Louis Vuitton, Maciek Kobielski, twin

Iconic is an often overused word, but when someone manages to not only profoundly shape their art form, but also stay relevant 20 something years into their career, the term is more than justified. Opening today at the ICA, Juergen Teller: W00 is an expansive study of the Erlangen-born photographer’s work.

From his black and white images of Kurt Cobain during Nirvana’s tour in 1991 to the provocative nudes of Vivienne Westwood, every honest and intimate portrait by the German photographer, alongside his longstanding collaborations with brands such as Helmut Lang and Marc Jacobs, not only commemorates his longevity as both a commercial and art photographer but also shows that aside from his trademark overexposed photography technique, what really makes a Juergen Teller image is his connection to the individual.

During a preview of the exhibition yesterday, Teller spoke openly about his work process and decades’ worth of pressing the shutter button:

“With every picture you have to be really open and honest about it and tell people what you want to do. I have no idea what I am looking for in an image, it really varies. I have to have complete concentration on the subject, I never have music playing or people standing behind me talking, it drives me crazy. I need the full attention, of their attention to me as I have attention to them, and that’s why it’s powerful and direct in every picture. My way of working hasn’t really changed that much since the beginning, but I have become a lot more careful, project-based and tend to work in series. I am more confident and secure within myself.  I want to explore and see things, I’m curious about life. You only live once, you can’t just be miserable and complain all the time, you have to take risks to do something exciting and that’s what I try to do. You have to fucking go out there and do it.”

Juergen Teller: Woo exhibits at ICA until March 17.

ica.org.uk

Tags: Helmut Lang, ICA, Juergen Teller, Kurt Cobain, Marc Jacobs, Vivienne WEstwood, Woo

Juergen Teller’s inimitable and raw style of photography has been helping redefine the genre for over three decades. From crafting a signature look for Marc Jacobs advertisements to his infamous images of Kristen McMenamy, the German photographer’s work is that of a true original.

Now there is an opportunity to get to know his work from a more autobiographical and personal side. An accumulation of his weekly columns for newspaper Die Zeit, consisting of a personally selected image and accompanying explanatory text, Pictures And Words is not only an introduction to the Teller aesthetic, but also an insight into the thought behind it.

For those who are running a bit late on their gift-giving rituals this year, an almost 200-page hardcover book of Juergen Teller’s photographs and musings is a pretty good place to start.

Juergen Teller: Pictures And Words is published by Steidl.
juergenteller.com
steidville.com

Tags: Die Zeit, Juergen Teller, Kristen McMenamy, Marc Jacobs, Steidl