Patrick Demarchelier: biography, works, photos

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:46

Modern standards of beauty dictate gloss. We see models on the covers, but we don’t even think about what a huge industry and what kind of people are behind it. Patrick Demarchelier is one of the pioneers of fashion photography.

Youth Demarchelier

At the end of the hot August 1943 in the suburbs of Paris occupied by the Germans, the future photographer was born, whose name is destined to go down in history - Patrick Demarchelier. His biography seems cloudless, but, like every person, he had his ups and downs. The boy spent his childhood with his family in the port city of Le Havre, in the north of the country. In addition to Patrick, there were 4 more brothers in the family. The upbringing of children lay entirely on the shoulders of the mother. His father left the family when Patrick was 8 years old. Soon the mother remarried, and the stepfather played a big role in the life of the future photographer. It was he who gave him an old Kodak for his seventeenth birthday, after which the young man declared that he had found his life's work. As a rule, when a child talks about the desire to devote his life to art, this pretty upsets his parents. ButPatrick's family was only happy, because at school he studied very badly, and his further fate was vague.

Beginner photographer

Patrick Demarchelier began his career in his hometown in a very prosaic position. He photographed people for passports. Occasionally, orders for wedding photographs were turned up. Of course, this could not satisfy his ambitions, and at the age of 20, Patrick begins an independent life in Paris. Here he gets a job in the studio, where he takes newspaper pictures. The young talent was appreciated, and soon Demarchelier received the position of an assistant photographer responsible for magazine covers. In parallel with this work, he holds the position of a staff photographer in a major modeling agency.

One of the best magazine masters of photography was then Hans Feurer. He has collaborated with many magazines - Nova UK, French and British Vogue. In 1964, Patrick Demarchelier became his assistant. Photos of the master inspired him, he always spoke of Hans as his teacher. Patrick never trained in photography professionally, his school was practice, and it was Feuerer who taught him the basics of the craft. Soon Demarchelier becomes one of the most popular photographers.

America

Early 1970s. The rise of advertising and glossy photography. In many magazines you can see the signature: "Patrick Demarchelier". The photographer's work is very popular in his homeland. He collaborates with Marie Claire, Elle, Glamour, 20 Ans. For a thirty year oldphotographer is a huge success. It would seem, what more could you want? But in 1975, he followed his beloved woman to America. Although the lady soon left him, Demarchelier did not regret the move. He signed a contract with American Vogue.

At that time, the magazine resolutely abandoned the elegant frills of the 60s. Listening to the spirit of the time, the editor is looking for new images - not refined, but close to an ordinary woman, natural. A modern girl should radiate he alth, vitality, be athletic and fit. This is how Patrick Demarchelier saw his models. The Vogue cover photo with Bonnie Bergman is considered one of the most iconic for the magazine. A young tanned woman with a short haircut stands on the seashore, casually putting her hands in gymnastic rings. The shooting took place in Barbados, a vigorous sports plot was needed. Unfortunately, they forgot to take care of the inventory, and had to make it on their own, using improvised means. At that time, few people heard about Bergman, but after the famous cover, she began to be quoted as one of the best models. With this photo, the aesthetics of sports and the cult of a toned, flexible body entered the glossy world. It was a revolution at the time.

Career blossoming

Since moving to America, Patrick Demarchelier has become a truly famous photographer. He lives in New York and contributes to a solid list of magazines. The most influential publications are not averse to getting his work. In 1980, he stopped working with American Vogue and went to the British branch. But in 1989 he returned to Vogue US again, and after a long break, a frame from a beach photo shoot with Madonna appeared on the first cover. In the same year, Princess Diana saw the work of Demarchelier and invited him to the post of official photographer of the royal family. For the first time this honorary post was occupied by a foreigner.

In 1992, Demarchelier shot the cover for the 100th anniversary issue of Vogue. On it, he captured the top 10 models of the magazine, including Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Tatiana Patits, Claudia Schiffer. It was one of the most successful releases in Vogue history.

Patrick Demarchelier also works with Christy Turlington, Claudia Schiffer, Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Janet Jackson, Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman. He takes part in advertising campaigns for Lacoste, Louis Vuitton, Celine, Dior, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein. Publications appear in Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Rolling Stone, Mademoiselle, Glamour, GQ and Allure. 3 Pirelli calendars are decorated with his works. Today he is one of the most successful photographers in the world.

Demarchelier Style

Despite the abundance of staged works in the master's portfolio, he always claimed that he cultivated naturalness in the frame. Demarchelier often talks about how he tries to bridge the barrier between the photographer and the model in the form of a camera. When shooting, he tries to emphasize emotion, casual glance, head tilt, lively spontaneity. Even in the shortcomings of the modelDemarchelier sees beauty and grace. The women in his works are beautiful in their naturalness and spontaneity. The photographer sees the secret of his skill in tireless work. And, looking back at his biography, you understand that the words about hard work in this case are not at all an empty phrase. Fame did not spoil the master, as often happens in the gloss industry.

Albums

The photographer has released four albums with his work. The first one came out in 1995. It was called succinctly: "Patrick Demarchelier: Photographs." As a rule, such art albums are issued with a circulation of up to 3,000 copies. The circulation of Demarchelier's edition was 12,000, and a year later an additional 5,000 had to be printed. The second book, The Discovery of Elegance, was published in 1997. The following album was released "Forms". All three books were reprinted many times, and 10 years later, in 2008, an edition with new photographs was published. It had the same name as the first one and was even more successful.

Today, the master continues to work, despite his rather respectable age. In the footsteps of his father, his youngest son followed, who himself is engaged in photography and helps his father in his studio. Patrick Demarchelier is one of the patriarchs of photography, thanks to whose work many now famous models became famous and important historical figures were immortalized on film.