Steven Meisel - Photographer

[Marcel]

^Here.

Trendspotting
Vogue Italia July 2004
Photographer: Steven Meisel
Models: Missy Rayder, Karen Elson, Elise Crombez, Dovile Virsilaite, Hannelore Knuts, Jessica Stam.

As far as I know the cover is a foldout.

[cottonmouth13]

^BIG THANKS!

[Mchunu]

starting today i will start buying Vogue Italia monthly..because i just adore my Mr. Meisel..even though it's going to be a b*tch to my pocket.

[cottonmouth13]

^but it's gonna be worth it.

[BerlinRocks]

Originally Posted by FashionTopFace

more more more!!!! has he done more of this style? one the road, rebel without a cause, i mean that rough style, homeless beatnics on the streets of nyc carefree vagebonds, hot love in hard times, say like robert frank, dennis stock, micheal tighe etc. i love that certain rawness, its so real like street photography, documentary and sex, u know real poor stuff but romantisised by a little love or sex maybe. especially in times of economic crisis i think this style could replace the high polished style cause it doesnt relate to our realities anymore?


and maybe not important cuase his work is superior, but has won like photography awards? i mean when i google annie l i gets lists of awards and prizes.

i would like to know. i guess.
was there a vh1 photog awards ?

thks for the photo references.

[FashionTopFace]

what is vh1?

no i mean photography prizes. But then again thats like asking if shakespeare won any prizes back then. Steven doesnt need any prize, but i was just curious what he won im sure he won prizes.

[Mchunu]

VH1 is a channel.

[BerlinRocks]

^^there used to be the VH1 Vogue Fashion Awards.
but i'm not sure there was a video category.

[cottonmouth13]

^miss those days of VH1 Vogue Fashion Awards..

[FashionTopFace]

ok im speculating that Steven will get the throne of greatest fashion photographer after Irving Penn. What do you all think? I been looking at his work and comparing etc and im saying yes! I hope so!

[cottonmouth13]

^for me, he has it now. he's the Irving Penn of this generation.

[testinofan]

mmmm Steven Meisel is a great photographer but no are in the same status of Avedon, Newton, Penn, and dont forget Helmut critic much time Meisel copy a lot your works are diferent epocas but Meisel have a long time to are the great photographers of the trio

[j'adorekapusta]

^ wow this is indeed one interesting notion. it's curious how Steven Meisel has become an almost unreachable icon in fashion photography. but has he really said something new artistically-wise? when you think of his contemporaries, from Inez&Vinoodh to Nick Knight to Steven Klein they all have their signature, something one can attribute to these people's work. but has there been something 100% Meisel? has he ever invented something within his visual or technical vocabulary? he's known as one genius reinterpetator of others' work, being able to make it relevant and upbeat to the zeitgeist. but is there distinctive Meisel's voice? and does a photographer needs to have one to be successful in the modern state of business?

[BerlinRocks]

Originally Posted by j'adorekapusta

^ wow this is indeed one interesting notion. it's curious how Steven Meisel has become an almost unreachable icon in fashion photography. but has he really said something new artistically-wise? when you think of his contemporaries, from Inez&Vinoodh to Nick Knight to Steven Klein they all have their signature, something one can attribute to these people's work. but has there been something 100% Meisel? has he ever invented something within his visual or technical vocabulary? he's known as one genius reinterpetator of others' work, being able to make it relevant and upbeat to the zeitgeist. but is there distinctive Meisel's voice? and does a photographer needs to have one to be successful in the modern state of business?

i think the way he "translates" his references is what is his genius.
and that's it. no signature. isn't it great to be free ?

[LegBaby]

I always think it's odd how everyone always says Meisel has no distinctive style. I mean, in most cases I can look at something straight away and recognise it as his. Plus I'd like to see Klein, I&V, Mert&Marcus or even somebody like Roversi try and take on the mammoth challenge of doing every single Vogue Italia cover - it would essentially just be the same thing again and again. Meisel occasionally revisits past themes, but is then accused of being unoriginal, uninispired or looking too much to the past.

I think his individual style can be seen more in campaigns than editorials, maybe because the number is less - Alberta Ferretti or Prada campaigns, for example, always have that distinctive Meisel feel.
As BerlinRocks said; the best, most important feature of Meisel's work is his ability to manipulate influences and work with them to make them his own - that makes him a great imitator perhaps, but I don't think that necessarily takes away from his importance as a photographer. I think he seems to understand that he works in fashion, and not "high" art - he clearly loves clothes and models especially, and is not as pretentious as say I&V IMO.

Finally, it seems to me that his true "signature" of sorts lies in his relationships with his models - no other photograper working today can time and time again bring out the very best of his subjects. There is this wonderful, organic nature to how his bond with his favourite models (Linda, Karen, Guinevere, Elise, Stam, Sasha and so on and so forth) develops. It makes his work have a personal, almost auto-biographical quality that's a joy to track. That's what makes this thread so interesting!