11 August 2008

All-American. Bruce Weber.




Photographer Bruce Weber's work is synonymous with All-American. He is a fashion photographer who has created very successful ad campaigns for the biggest in the business - Calvin Klein, Abercrombie & Fitch, Ralph Lauren, Gianni Versace, etc. His work has consistently been seen in Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair, Elle, Life, Interview and Rolling Stone magazines. I have been a big fan of his Most Excellent art ever since I purchased my first Bruce Weber black and white post card while walking down Bleecker Street in the late 1980's.

In addition to photography, Weber is also responsible for creating several films, (one based on the life of jazz musician, Chet Baker), and a few music videos for the Pet Shop Boys and Chris Issac. What I would like to concentrate on here is Bruce Weber's photography. His books, of which there are several, include three that I personally own - "Chop Suey Club", "Bear Pond" and "Blood, Sweat and Tears". The first edition copies of "Chop Suey Club" and "Bear Pond" have a value of about $900.00 each. Most of his books are out of print and available only from dealers of rare books and on eBay.

When I decided to spotlight Bruce Weber on this blog, I wanted to avoid it looking just like a fashion spread for Abercrombie and Fitch. Weber is directly responsible for creating the homo-erotic look for the retailer, who currently reports annual revenue of around 12.5 billion dollars. The precise genius behind Bruce Weber's work is that it is easily recognizable, rarely mistaken and undeniably All-American! Just look at the snapshot on any Abercrombie and Fitch bag and you will see the success that is Bruce Weber. But Weber is not just about photos of naked boys, he is a serious fashion photographer with many years in the business - dating back to the 1970's.

































Fashion Photographer Bruce Weber