Ellen von Unwerth: The Provocateur | Staley Wise Gallery
Ellen von Unwerth Paint Them Black: Kate Moss, 1995
Written by Trip Avis
There is not an ounce of shame in Ellen von Unwerth’s oeuvre. The work of the veteran German model-turned-fashion photographer is more aligned with the values and notions of the modern woman than may initially meet the eye. Though there is an integral element of eroticism in von Unwerth’s photography, these women are not taking anything too seriously. There is a wry, self-aware element in tandem with the erotic—these are not models nervously posed before the leering camera lens of a patriarchal photographer but confident women with agency and control of their sexuality. The Provocateur, displayed by Staley-Wise Gallery in New York between March 8 and May 11, 2024, celebrates beauty, femininity, sexuality, and mystique while serving as a playful reminder to have fun in this life. No one gets out alive anyway.
Owing to her experience as a model in a largely male-dominated industry, still weighted down by ideals of beauty forged by a patriarchal society, von Unwerth reflects, “I know what it’s like when you feel really uncomfortable, so I do everything in my power to make them feel at ease—to live and laugh and move.” This connection and personal understanding between von Unwerth and her subjects create playful ease and shameless exuberance that palpably emanates from the images. The models and celebrities she photographs feel more like old friends, captured in a cheeky moment, than the pop culture icons they inevitably are.
Ellen von Unwerth Flush: Elle Macpherson, New York, 2004
In Flush: Elle Macpherson, New York, 2004, the fruit of this cooperative work ethic is readily apparent. In the black-and-white portrait, the Australian supermodel perches atop a toilet, donning only a pair of glossy stilettos and a carefully positioned toilet paper roll. At first, the nudity and Macpherson’s glamorous persona seem at odds with the playful, silly elements, but together, they produce an image brimming with campy humor and confidence. She is not just portrayed as a commercial sex symbol but a flesh-and-blood human with a sense of humor and a healthy dose of self-depreciation.
Ellen von Unwerth Galliano, Paris, 1993
Von Unwerth’s Galliano, Paris, 1993, which depicts a gown-clad Shalom Harlow in an intimate dance with another model, is an instance that subverts the male-catered conception of feminine sexuality and expression. The tenderness and homoeroticism splashed over with haute couture glamour imbue the photograph with a sense of storybook romance. It feels as if the two women are not dancing for the pleasure or wiles of a male onlooker but for themselves, alone together in a beautiful moment. One almost forgets that the image is advertising clothing, and so strong are von Unwerth’s narrative vision and atmospheric abilities.
Ellen von Unwerth Intermission: Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington, Cannes 1990
Intermission: Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington, Cannes, 1990, from the series The Sisters for Vogue Italia, is another sharp depiction of female connection. Famously close as members of the exclusive ‘Big Five’ supermodels of the 1990s, Evangelista and Turlington don matching tiaras and blonde bouffant hairstyles, casually sipping colorful drinks along the Côte d’Azur. Despite their iconic reputations that render them seemingly otherworldly, they are simply two (albeit chicly dressed) friends enjoying a moment together in the sun. You can imagine their laughter and conversations.
The exhibition title, The Provocateur, may be used to denote the models or von Unwerth herself, but what is truly provocative about these images is not the element of sex or glamour but rather the sense of uninhibited joy and playfulness that trumps any serious sense of trying to be alluring. A cognizant effort to be sexy feels like a bastion of patriarchal ideals, and the models von Unwerth shoots make being sexy beside the point; it is really about being themselves.
Ellen von Unwerth Place des Vosges, Paris, 2023
