Peter Lindbergh

The exhibition “The Lightness of Being” by Peter Lindbergh (1944–2019) consists of photos taken throughout the artist’s extensive career. Lindbergh is recognised as one of the world’s most influential photographers, transforming the perception of fashion photography and the individuals captured through his lens.

Lindbergh’s work in the 1990s marked the beginning of an era that continues to resonate today – a time of supermodels and a unique blend of femininity and masculinity, often depicted in white shirts.

Over the decades, he captured numerous cover photos for fashion and lifestyle magazines, and many credit Lindbergh’s photos as the starting point for the careers of supermodels such as Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, and Christy Turlington.

The master of black and white photography, Lindbergh worked with both light and dark shades. He observed his models with a gentle and intelligent gaze that was also aesthetically focused. A recurring theme in Lindbergh’s work is the body, dance, and movement, with his genius in composing photos evident in his ability to create a complete narrative on a double-page spread.

“The Lightness of Being” is curated by the Peter Lindbergh Foundation, represented by Benjamin Lindbergh and Thoai Niradeth, in collaboration with Lisa Giomar Hydéni, the exhibition director at Fotografiska Stockholm.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Peter Lindbergh (1944–2019) was a German fashion photographer and filmmaker. He grew up in Germany but lived for decades in Paris, frequently working in various fashion capitals. Although he had also studied art, in the late 1970s, he chose photography as his vocation, and it became his calling. His photographs have influenced several generations of photographers, designers, and other creative individuals.

This sentence describes the teenage Lindbergh, who grew up in an industrial town in post-war Germany. He took odd jobs as a window dresser, and eventually, this path led him to a cosmopolitan world where he skilfully found his place. It’s possible that later, as he worked in all the fashion capitals and lived in Paris, with people rushing to be in front of his camera, he reminisced about his thirst for the wider world with a certain melancholy.