Steven Meisel 1993, A year in Photographs

Steven Meisel 1993, A year in Photographs

Steven Meisel 1993, A year in Photographs

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1993 A YEAR IN PHOTOGRAPHS

STEVEN MEISEL'S WORK HAS ALWAYS FASCINATED ME. IT'S CLEAR, TO ME AND TO MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE SENSITIVE TO THE WORLD OF FASHION AND BEAUTY, THAT STEVEN HAS A GIFT.

HOWEVER, IT WASN'T UNTIL A FEW YEARS AGO, WHEN I STARTED COLLABORATING WITH HIM, THAT I REALLY GOT A SENSE OF THE ORIGIN OF THIS EXTRAORDINARY WORK. THEN, MY FASCINATION TURNED INTO A DEEP ADMIRATION FOR THE MAGIC HE CREATES WITH HIS PHOTOS.

STEVEN IS MUCH MORE THAN A GREAT PHOTOGRAPHER; HE IS A VISIONARY, A PERFECTIONIST, A TRUE LOVER OF FASHION AND BEAUTY IN ALL ITS FORMS. AN EXQUISITE ARTIST WHO TAKES CARE OF EVERY DETAIL AND LEAVES NOTHING TO CHANCE. I BELIEVE THAT THE STRENGTH OF HIS WORK STEMS FROM AN EXCEPTIONAL SENSITIVITY AND A PERSONAL STYLE THAT IS ALWAYS APPROACHABLE AND FRIENDLY, THE RESULT OF AN ENORMOUS SELF-CONFIDENCE. TO WATCH HIM WORK IS TO WITNESS AN INCREDIBLE EMOTIONAL JOURNEY THAT TRANSFORMS EVERYONE IN FRONT OF HIS LENS INTO THEIR MOST BEAUTIFUL VERSION.

AS WITH ANY PROFESSIONAL WHO EXCELS AT HIS CRAFT, WORKING WITH STEVEN IMPLIES A CERTAIN PRESSURE TO GET EVERYTHING RIGHT. YET THE TRUST AND RESPECT WITH WHICH HE LEADS HIS TEAM ALWAYS CREATES AN AURA OF CALMNESS AND CONFIDENCE. WHEN YOU WORK WITH STEVEN, YOU KNOW YOU ARE IN THE HANDS OF A MASTER. I AM CONVINCED THAT THE EXQUISITE WORKS OF ART HE CONCEIVES ARE A DIRECT RESULT OF HIS CONFIDENCE, TECHNICAL SKILL AND A DEEP LOVE FOR WHAT HE DOES. IF THERE IS ONE THING I HAVE LEARNED FROM KNOWING AND WORKING WITH HIM, IT IS THE REALISATION THAT THE TRUE GENIUS OF AN ARTIST COMES FROM HUMILITY, KINDNESS, AND RESPECT.


PEOPLE WHO SHINE LIKE STEVEN HAVE NO NEED TO BELITTLE OTHERS; MANY WHO HAVE ENTERED HIS WORLD HAVE BUILT THEIR OWN SUCCESS THROUGH HIS INFLUENCE. I GUESS WHEN YOUR TALENT AND CREATIVITY ARE SO POWERFUL, IT'S POSSIBLE TO BE TRUE TO YOURSELF WITHOUT BEING IMPRESSED BY FAME OR DISTRACTED BY TRIVIAL MATTERS BEYOND YOUR CONTROL. BY CREATING EXTRAORDINARY IMAGES TIME AND TIME AGAIN, STEVEN JUST LETS HIS WORK SPEAK FOR HIM.

FOR THIS REASON, AND BECAUSE I ADMIRE HIM AS THE IMMENSELY GENEROUS ARTIST HE IS, I WAS HONOURED THAT HE AGREED TO BRING SUCH AN EXCEPTIONAL EXHIBITION TO A CORUÑA, THIS SMALL AND UNIQUE CORNER OF THE WORLD THAT IS MY CITY. THE EXHIBITION GIVES US A GLIMPSE INTO THE MAGICAL WORLD OF STEVEN MEISEL DURING THE TWELVE MONTHS OF 1993, ONE OF THE MOST PROLIFIC YEARS OF HIS CAREER.

IN EACH OF THESE STUNNING PORTRAITS, STEVEN BREAKS THROUGH THE SURFACE TO CAPTURE THE INDIVIDUAL PERSONALITIES OF HIS MODELS. THEY ARE, UNDOUBTEDLY, SOME OF THE MOST POWERFUL AND RELEVANT FASHION PHOTOGRAPHS EVER TAKEN. THIS EXHIBITION WILL NOT ONLY ADD TO THE RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE OF GALICIA, BUT WILL ALSO BE A SOURCE OF ENORMOUS INSPIRATION FOR THOSE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO SPEND TIME IN FRONT OF STEVEN'S MAGNIFICENT IMAGES. I CAN ONLY SMILE AS I CONTEMPLATE HIS SPLENDID WORK, BROUGHT TOGETHER HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME. I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY IT. THANK YOU, STEVEN, FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART.

AND THANK YOU, A CORUÑA, FOR YOUR CONSTANT SUPPORT.
WITH ALL MY LOVE AND ADMIRATION,

About the artist

Steven Meisel

Steven Meisel

STEVEN MEISEL IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FASHION PHOTOGRAPHERS OF HIS GENERATION.

AFTER STARTING HIS CAREER AS AN ILLUSTRATOR, A PROFESSION TO WHICH HE ATTRIBUTES HIS GOOD GRAPHIC VISION, HE MADE HIS DEBUT AS A PHOTOGRAPHER WHEN AN ELITE MODEL MANAGEMENT BOOKER INVITED HIM TO PHOTOGRAPH SEVERAL OF THEIR MODELS.

SINCE CHILDHOOD, HE HAD GATHERED A WORLD OF VISUAL REFERENCES THAT WOULD HELP HIM DEVELOP HIS PARTICULAR APPROACH TO PHOTOGRAPHY: "IT ALL STARTED WHEN I WAS VERY YOUNG. I THINK IT STARTED EVEN BEFORE I STARTED TAKING PICTURES. I JUST LIKED FASHION."

STEVEN'S EARLY OBSESSIONS WITH MODELS, STYLE, AND BEAUTY ALLOWED HIM TO RISE TO THE TOP OF THE PROFESSION. THAT WHOLE WORLD HE HAD OBSERVED AS A CHILD WAS REFINED IN HIS DRAWINGS AND, LATER, IN HIS PHOTOGRAPHY. HIS INFLUENCE HAS FOSTERED MULTIPLE CAREERS, NOTABLY THOSE OF LINDA EVANGELISTA, NAOMI CAMPBELL, STELLA TENNANT, AND KRISTEN MCMENAMY, ALL OF WHOM ARE WELL REPRESENTED IN THIS EXHIBITION.