Week Six BOC: Bruce Weber

 



Bruce Weber is an American photographer. He was born on March 29, 1946 and grew up in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. He has done campaigns for several American designers like Ralph Lauren, Perry Ellis and Calvin Klein. He is best known for shooting campaigns for Abercrombie and Fitch. He uses black and white shots in most of his work but occasionally ads color. He first became known in the 1980’s and early 1990’s for shooting images for Calvin Klein. He is also well known for shooting ads with shirtless models. “His straightforward black and white shots, featuring an unclothed heterosexual couple on a swing facing each other, two clothed men in bed, and model Marcus Schenkenberg barely holding jeans in front of himself in a shower, catapulted him into the national spotlight”.  This was his first shot where he was established as a photographer and catapulted him into the fashion world photography. His work was classified as homoerotic, because his signature shots included black and white shots of nude males.

"Almost every major publication such as Vogue, V, W, Vanity Fair, Interview and Rolling Stone, has employed Weber for editorials and portraits of figures from Patti Smith to Robert de Niro". He is a well-known photographer who has established himself  on his ads although he also has done some filmwork, books (25+) and directed music videos for artists such as Chris Isaak and Pet Shop Boys. Most of his work gives the story of outdoor leisure and romance, he was inspired by the work of  photographer Diane Arbus. Bruce has shot for Abercrombie and Fitch since 1993 to this day and still maintains the signature look for each ad.

"His photographs are in the permanent collections of London's Victoria and Albert Museum and the Museum of Modern Art in Paris".  Mr. Weber played a major role in redifining the male beauty and he established the male nude as a public figure the same way the female figure was in fashion. Even though he started off with the Abercrombie and Fitch catalog, in 2003 they were discontinued partly due to the fuss over his sexual imagery