Title: Guy Bourdin
Author: Charlotte Cotton
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, 2003
Text edited by Charlotte Cotton; 172 pages, color and black and white illustrations
For many, Guy Bourdin’s images represent the instant in the 20th century when fine art and blatant capitalism collided to form saturated, striking fashion photographs. Published in conjunction with the first major exhibition of his work at the Victoria and Albert Museum, this vivid monograph contains splendid reproductions of his Charles Jourdan footwear campaigns, the controversial French Vogue editorials, and several of his nocturnal cityscapes. Five commissioned essays explore Bourdin’s significance in the history of 20th century photography, the argument that images compel viewers but not necessarily fashion itself, and a brief examination of his earlier black and white photography and its connection to the images that made him famous.
