A Gun for Hire

Helmut Newton once said, "Some people’s photography is an art. Mine is not. If they happen to be exhibited in a gallery or a museum, that’s fine. But that’s not why I do them. I’m a gun for hire." (Newsweek, 02/02/04) This prosaic proclamation from one of the 20th century’s most celebrated photographers is not a little shocking, but nonetheless firmly positions Newton as the no-frills image-maker that he was. His work is so powerful, so striking, that it defies categorization. In refusing to call his work "art," Newton leaves us free to do so, and judging from the amount of museum and gallery shows that have featured his work, it is clear that the option has been widely exercised. This book brings together a selection of Newton’s fashion catalog work from as early as 1962 through 2003 and his last editorial photographs for US and Italian Vogue - all work he made as a "gun for hire."

Helmut Newton once said, "Some people s photography is an art. Mine is not. If they happen to be exhibited in a gallery or a museum, that s fine. But that s not why I do them. I m a gun for hire." (Newsweek, 02/02/04) This prosaic proclamation from one of the 20th century s most celebrated photographers is not a little shocking, but nonetheless firmly positions Newton as the no-frills image-maker that he was. His work is so powerful, so striking, that it defies categorization. In refusing to call his work "art," Newton leaves us free to do so, and judging from the amount of museum and gallery shows that have featured his work, it is clear that the option has been widely exercised. This book brings together a selection of Newton s fashion catalog work from as early as 1962 through 2003 and his last editorial photographs for US and Italian Vogue - all work he made as a "gun for hire."

June Newton, renowned under her photographic pseudonym Alice Springs, takes the reader on an extraordinary journey from her childhood in Australia, via work and travels with her husband, Helmut Newton, to life today in LA and Monaco.

Helmut Newton was born in Berlin in 1920. He died in an automobile accident in Hollywood in January, 2004. He began his career at the age of 16, working for famous Berlin photographer, Yva. As an 18-year-old, he emigrated to Australia, returning to Europe in 1957 to settle in Paris. As of the 1980s he lived in both Monte Carlo and Los Angeles. The first of his countless solo exhibitions took place in Paris in 1975. Awards for his photographic oeuvre included the German Gro??e Bundesverdienstkreuz, the French Grand Prix national de la photographie and the World Image Award.