PETER LINDBERGH’S POWER
Giorgio Armani Presents a Curation In His Friend's Honor
Peter Lindbergh, the esteemed fashion photographer, died last fall at the age of 74. An exhibit dedicated to his work is now on view at Armani/Silos in Milan, Italy. “I have always admired Peter for the consistency and intensity of his work. Timelessness is a quality I personally aspire to and one that Peter definitely possessed,” said Giorgio Armani in a statement. Curated by Armani and the Peter Lindbergh Foundation, Heimat. A Sense of Belonging pays homage to the prolific photographer showcasing some of his published work and some never-before-seen photography. “I want to pay tribute to a wonderful professional companion whose love for beauty represents an indelible contribution to our culture, not just fashion,” said Armani. Lindbergh photographed several campaigns for the designer and the two remained friends for decades.
Lindbergh was born in Leszno, Poland, in 1944 and grew up in Duisburg, Germany. He studied at the Berlin Academy of Fine Art and free painting at Krefeld. The artist later turned to photography after buying a camera to photograph his brother’s children. He lived in Dusseldorf, working as an assistant to German photographer Hans Lux. He joined Stern magazine along with legendary photographers Helmut Newton, Guy Bourdin and Hans Feurer.
His success brought Lindbergh to Paris, where he worked for Vogue. He was influenced by German cinema and the industrial background of his childhood. He was also inspired by and favored the realism of documentary photography and photojournalism. His photographs of models were often unfiltered and free of make-up. He desired truth and looked to remove the falseness and trickery of fashion. In the introduction to his 2018 photography book Shadows on the Wall, Lindbergh wrote, “It should be a duty for every photographer working today to use his creativity and influence to free women and everyone from the terror of youth and perfection.”
Lindbergh’s iconic black and white January 1990 cover shoot for British Vogue, featuring Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Tatjana Patitz, Christy Turlington and Cindy Crawford, is considered to have launched the era of the supermodel. “We weren’t photographed with a ton of hair and make-up; we were quite undone. Coming out of the Eighties, which was all big hair and boobs pushed up, it felt refreshing and new,” said Cindy Crawford in an interview with Vogue.
Heimat. A sense of Belonging depicts the complexity and the directness of Lindbergh’s work and goes beyond fashion photography. There is an honesty to Lindbergh’s work linked to his own Heimat. Heimat, in German, means more than home: it is a place of the heart; it is where one belongs.
Heimat. A Sense of Belonging at the Armani/Silos in Milan, Italy, runs through January 2021.
