Steven Meisel Shoots Nearly Identical Portfolio for W, Italian Vogue

[Melancholybaby]

^Meisel's last big feature for W was the March 2009 one with all those socialites as jail convicts.

 

[kokobombon]

Isn´t Meisel king of recycling ideas? his and other photographers? so why is this news? sounds like promotion for W, if nothing else...

 

[modela]

^^Near identical ...i'm not seeing it ,maybe its just me. Meisel bores the **** out of me,but it seems somebody is just trying to create some headlines and is Meisel really going to be bothered by being sacked by W W has become such a lowrated magazine that i'm suprised they even have top photographers working for them ( Money talks).

 

[MyNameIs]

Why are people saying "oh it's no big deal to recycle your own idea/photoshoot"? Am I reading the article wrong or is that not the main problem that W staff has about the whole thing? They're not complaining that he shot a story for them based on an idea that he's used in the past. Nor are they complaining that he's used the same idea subsequently some time later.

I think the two main problems are that at the same time as W is paying Meisel to produce an original product for them, unbeknown to them, he's shooting the same ed for another (much more prolific and competing) publication to run at the same time. Another issue is that there may be some concern about W's money going to fund an editorial for a competing publication. Both valid concerns. Either the competing ed at VI should've been disclosed to W to assure that there's no conflict of interest and to assure that W is getting what they pay for - an original photo story. Or, Meisel and VI should've waited a few months at least to run the similar story in VI. Even if there was no impropriety here, there's certainly an appearance of one at the very least, and Meisel and/or VI should've taken appropriate steps to prevent that.

I don't really understand how one photographer can have such a monopoly in the fashion world. Even if you subscribe to the school of thought that he's the best photographer, he's hardly the only good photographer, so why not explore other young talent. I don't think that the editorial(s) in question couldn't have been produced by another photographer. But that's neither here nor there. What I do hope is that despite the risk of 'losing' the potential long term connection with Meisel, W does end up addressing the issue (though I'm not sure what they could do, other than perhaps sue for breach of contract, which seems too severe and offer potential PR disaster).

 

[Flashbang]

^You're not the only one. I too, read the problem is the budget thingie.

 

[congacon]

it really is impossible to be original when you have done literally almost everything that u have thought about. that is the case for meisel. this man have been in the business for so many years......his brain is not as fresh as it used to be.

must like m&m, their gucci ad looks exactly the same as lara's ed.

 

[MulletProof]

It's rude and unprofessional for me. MANY photographers play with sequence, sometimes overdo an aesthetic or have several seasons when you can tell they're clearly exploring a source of inspiration and won't let go no matter how repetitive it looks. This is not the case. He's basically giving W some of his IV leftovers, I don't care if it was not shot the same day or on the same location, he's still not being reciprocal to his client. I actually find this a little worse than simply ripping off someone else's editorial, but to each their own, I doubt there will be any repercussions anyway, and like it was mentioned previously, Steven is kind of a ghost from the past by now, very 90s, he probably can't really see anything wrong in this and probably didn't have such bad intentions, as stupid as it sounds.

 

[Les_Sucettes]

ALL this famous fashion photographers do not have an original idea for more than a decade.
Magazines should expect endless repetition, isn't that why they are paying? For a name? Maybe a certain aesthetic?
If they want something new maybe they should try to invest in young talent.

 

[Label Basher]

He's basically giving W some of his IV leftovers.

That's how I look at it. It's a bit embarrassing that it's only one month apart. Usually people can forgive if the same idea is used 5 years later but one month. And you can't use the excuse of the mags being based in different countries/different audience. That sh*t don't fly with me. This is the internet age.

 

[TREVOFASHIONISTO]

^yes some people just hold certain talents on a pedestal and it's as if they could do anything... i find it silly that people are defending someone who produced an identical idea in a month, but really this studio idea of two different personas has been done by him all year basically

 

[YoninahAliza]

What really bothers me about this whole situation is that Meisel was smarmy about his dealings in W and VI. It sounds like he promised W a shot that would be original and unlike what else he was shooting at the time. But that's not what they got. Instead Meisel hoodwinked W into believing they had a beautiful original editorial.
Also, I think a lot of people are failing to recognize that, september issues are planned and often shot a few months in advanced (at least key editorials sometimes are), so W could have realized but not have had time to re-shoot. Thus used it rather then loose pages.
I feel bad for both W and VI. No magazine wants to be accused of ripping off other peoples work and having similar content. But instead it looks like Steven Meisel didn't think about what his actions would mean. Did he think no one would notice? Because if there is one thing that can be said about fashion people and magazine readers its that we have a sharp eye for things that don't make sense. And honestly, hopefully this is a wakeup call to editors and photographers that so many of the ideas are hackneyed and cliche at this point. Time to let a new wave of people come through and shake things up.

 

[penny609]

Seems like people are going a little too harsh on Meisel. He is not my favorite photographer and never will be but I respect his work in general and even love some stories he shot. Every single photographer, musician or whatever artist has done this before, recycling or "stuttering", on purpose or not. Especially when someone is asked to produce a lot and fast. I'm not sure he is running out of ideas, as an artist there are always moments you are not as inspired as the previous semester and your ideas can get mixed, you have troubles to handle inspirations that haven't matured enough in your mind. But clients don't understand it this way, have their deadlines and need the "product" to be delivered in time. The debate could be if an artist should then refuse the deal but it's not as easy as it seems. Plus, Meisel-bashing has become a popular sport and it looks to me as boring as soccer. When John Doe gets repetitive in what he does, no one cares. But when it's a famous person... well, seems that scandal still seels, unfortunately. Even when the thing isn't that obvious, as many people pointed it out here.

 

[LiranYana]

running out of ideas, duh

 

[tentalicious]

Alber Elbaz said lately:

... A singer can quit once he or she has made ten great songs, a director can finish once he or she has made five amazing films, a writer just needs to write three great books. Now let's look at designers - they produce six to eight shows a year, most designers have a 20-year-long career, so I need to create about 250 collections in that time. Not even Danielle Steel could write 250 books.

and I want to say the same thing about photographers and especially about someone like Steven Meisel, who has shot every cover/story of Vogue Italia since 1988 (330 and counting). So please no need for your sarcasm

 

[Les_Sucettes]

Seems like people are going a little too harsh on Meisel. He is not my favorite photographer and never will be but I respect his work in general and even love some stories he shot. Every single photographer, musician or whatever artist has done this before, recycling or "stuttering", on purpose or not. Especially when someone is asked to produce a lot and fast. I'm not sure he is running out of ideas, as an artist there are always moments you are not as inspired as the previous semester and your ideas can get mixed, you have troubles to handle inspirations that haven't matured enough in your mind. But clients don't understand it this way, have their deadlines and need the "product" to be delivered in time. The debate could be if an artist should then refuse the deal but it's not as easy as it seems. Plus, Meisel-bashing has become a popular sport and it looks to me as boring as soccer. When John Doe gets repetitive in what he does, no one cares. But when it's a famous person... well, seems that scandal still seels, unfortunately. Even when the thing isn't that obvious, as many people pointed it out here.

But that's exactly the problem, when your work as an artist starts to get repetitive and you run out of ideas, you should just hang the boots, there is nothing wrong with resting in your laurels. And this goes for any artist.

Actually when John Doe work is sub par, he gets fired and people move on.

 

[iluvjeisa]

It's rude and unprofessional for me. MANY photographers play with sequence, sometimes overdo an aesthetic or have several seasons when you can tell they're clearly exploring a source of inspiration and won't let go no matter how repetitive it looks. This is not the case. He's basically giving W some of his IV leftovers, I don't care if it was not shot the same day or on the same location, he's still not being reciprocal to his client. I actually find this a little worse than simply ripping off someone else's editorial, but to each their own, I doubt there will be any repercussions anyway, and like it was mentioned previously, Steven is kind of a ghost from the past by now, very 90s, he probably can't really see anything wrong in this and probably didn't have such bad intentions, as stupid as it sounds.

So if this is big news, what are we going to say about Jurgen Teller doing the same f-ing thing for what is it two decades? Seriously...

 

[fantastical]

^add Terry Richardson if there's anyone's "aesthetic" I'm sick of seeing, it's his
white background + high flash + half naked model = genius?

his photography is old and tired, but somehow people still keep buying into it...

 

[bun-bun]

^I don't know, I think with Teller and Richardson it is different. Those two have found something that works and keep using it over and over without excuses. I'm not a fan of either, so not defending their lack of originality- I'm just saying that their clients know that's what they're going to get. With Meisel, there are other expectations I suppose.

 

[cologne_rocks]

^I find those two definitely repetitive, particually Jürgen. There's this certain signature he has which I am okay with - but the way his models act infront of his camera and the mood of his photography is always the same. Roversi has done his sharp contrast + black/white thing dozens of times as well....
As of Meisel W/VI.... Bad timing.

Did Meisel ever consider himself an artist?