Typical Anton
When photos of celebreties are taken, the photographer wants to separate the person from the context this person is in. A consumer-oriented magazine subscriber wants to see people, not the environment they are in while the picture was taken.
Corbijn does the opposite. He takes the person and puts the person back in a new context. He often adds objects to the person or covers parts of the person, connects the person to an object like a computer, a wheelchair or a tree. Corbijn doesn’t use the objects as decoration, but rather making it a part of the subject.
Corbijn’s style is very rough. When he began his career, he used sensitive film for dark indoor shots. But he didn’t have the money to change a half unused film for a less sensitive when shooting outdoors. He liked the grain pattern in the photos, which are often black and white, brown or in a blue tone.
Corbijn doesn’t produce glamour. He makes art.
Photo: Johnny Cash
© 1994 Anton Corbijn