Editions 2013, 2019

Guy Bourdin

Born in 1928 in Paris. Died in 1991 in Paris.

Guy Bourdin’s intense career as a fashion photographer spanned the years 1955 to 1990, shooting for French Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel or Versace. With an eye of an artist, Guy Bourdin created surreal narratives that elevated the image into an artform with tight compositions, harsh interplay of light and shadow, saturated colours. An autodidact, whose life was devoted to a wide spectrum of artistic research: painting, photography, filming and writing. Guy Bourdin's pictorial radicalism is apparent in these black and white images, the first signs of the great Vogue adventure that would lead him to become a leading fashion photographer, renowned for his startling use of colour. In 1985, Guy Bourdin was awarded the Grand Prix National de la Photographie by the French Ministry of Culture (he refused the award). In 1988, he received the Infinity Award from the International Center of Photography, New York.
  • Institutional partners

    • République Française
    • Région Provence Alpes Côté d'Azur
    • Département des Bouches du Rhône
    • Arles
    • Le Centre des monuments nationaux est heureux de soutenir les Rencontres de la Photographie d’Arles en accueillant des expositions dans l’abbaye de Montmajour
  • Main partners

    • Fondation LUMA
    • BMW
    • SNCF
    • Kering
  • Media partners

    • Arte
    • Lci
    • Konbini
    • Le Point
    • Madame Figaro
    • France Culture