Ellen von Unwerth

The upshot, inevitably, is that Unwerth’s style, if not her attitude, is increasingly ripped-off by other photographers. They may boast a nice line in contextualization and semiotics, but perhaps in the Nineties, all a fashion photographer need say about their work can be summed up by Unwerth’s shrug and “I just try to make beautiful pictures.” Less might be more. Either way, it’s probably best to let her pictures — intuitively smart, sassy and provocative — speak on her behalf.

“Technique undoubtedly helps make photography magical, but I prefer to work with atmosphere. I think that the obsession with technique is a male thing. Boy’s toys. They love playing… but once you’ve perfected something you have to start searching for a new toy. I would rather search for a new model or location.