Description
BRUCE WEBER BIOGRAPHY :
Bruce Weber (born March 29, 1946) is an American fashion photographer and occasional filmmaker. He is most widely known for his ad campaigns for Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Pirelli, Abercrombie & Fitch, Revlon, and Gianni Versace, as well as his work for Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair, Elle, Life, Interview, and Rolling Stone magazines.
Life and work
Weber was born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, to a Jewish family. His fashion photography first appeared in the late 1970s in GQ magazine, where he had frequent cover photos. Nan Bush, his longtime companion and agent, was able to secure a contract with Federated Department Stores to shoot the 1978 Bloomingdales mail catalog. He came to the attention of the general public in the late 1980s and early 1990s with his advertising images for Calvin Klein, and his portrait of the then young actor Richard Gere. His straightforward black-and-white shots, featuring an unclothed woman and man 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. His photograph for Calvin Klein of Olympic athlete Tom Hintnaus in white briefs is an iconic image. He photographed the winter 2006 Ralph Lauren Collection.
Some of Weber’s other earliest fashion photography appeared in the SoHo Weekly News and featured a spread of men wearing only their underwear. The photos became the center of controversy and Weber was told by some that he would never find work as a fashion photographer again. This reputation stuck with him, as he says: “I don’t really work editorially in a large number of magazines because a lot of magazines don’t want my kind of photographs. It’s too risky for them”. After doing photo shoots for and of famous people (many of whom were featured in Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine), Weber made short films of teenage boxers (Broken Noses), his beloved pet dogs, and later, a longer film entitled Chop Suey. He directed Let’s Get Lost, a 1988 documentary about jazz trumpeter Chet Baker. Weber’s photographs are occasionally in color; however, most are in black and white or toned shades. They are gathered in limited edition books, including A House is Not a Home and Bear Pond, an early work that shows Eric Nies from MTV’s The Real World series, among other models. Weber began collaborating with crooner Chris Isaak in the mid-1980s, photographing Isaak in 1986 for his second album, Chris Isaak. In 1988, Weber photographed a shirtless Isaak in bed for a fashion spread in Rolling Stone. Isaak appeared in Let’s Get Lost and Weber has directed a music video for Isaak. Weber photographed Harry Connick, Jr. for his 1991 album Blue Light, Red Light. In 1993, Weber photographed singer-songwriter Jackson Browne for his 1993 album I’m Alive.
Fashion label
Weber created the fashion label Weberbilt in 2003; his first line, “eat, swim, sex, sleep”, went on sale in boutiques in London and Miami Beach, Florida, in 2004.
Activism and public advocacy
Bruce and Nan have been dedicated supporters of social activism and a variety of charitable causes for decades, both publicly and privately, and remain committed to those efforts to this day. In 2014 Bruce was honored by ACRIA, a leading international HIV/AIDS research, education, and prevention organization, for his longstanding commitment to the organization and the worldwide fight against AIDS.
In September 2019, Bruce and Nan donated a limited-edition archival gelatin silver print photograph titled True and Tai, Montauk, NY 2003, 2003 to the Paddle 8 Auction benefiting the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, which supports programming that provides direct care and services to people affected by HIV and AIDS. In October 2019, Bruce and Nan were members of the Host Committee for the Plastic Pollution Coalition’s Special 10th Anniversary Eve Cocktail Fiesta commemorating ten years of working collaboratively with more than 800 organizations, businesses, and notable coalition members globally to eliminate single-use plastic. Proceeds benefited the Plastic Pollution Coalition, a project of Earth Island Institute.
Sexual assault allegations
In December 2017, model Jason Boyce sued Weber for sexual assault, including inappropriate touching during a 2014 casting session, in New York State Supreme Court. The suit also targets Jason Kanner of Soul Artist Management, which managed Boyce when the alleged assault took place, and Little Bear Inc., the production company operated by Weber’s companion, Nan Bush. A second model, Mark Ricketson, came forward in December 2017 alleging similar claims and joined Boyce’s lawsuit against Weber. Weber has denied the allegations, stating to The New York Times that the allegations were “untrue” and that he had “never touched anyone inappropriately”. In January 2018, The New York Times detailed sexual assault allegations by fifteen former and current male models against Bruce Weber. In January 2019, it was reported that Weber asked to dismiss the original suit by Jason Boyce, with evidence provided that the model sent him racy photos and texts prior to and after the shoots. The judge refused dismissal and as of September 30, 2020, the case continued.
Filmography
Bruce’s cinematic works—including his four feature-length films—often begin with a photo sitting. While he was photographing the Olympic hopefuls for Interview Magazine in 1984, Bruce met Andy Minsker, a young boxer from Oregon, and started interviewing him on camera. While he originally intended to make a short to accompany an exhibition he was opening in Paris, Bruce became very excited when he reviewed the dailies and decided to continue the story. Broken Noses (1987), the resulting feature documentary, was nominated for the Grand Jury Award at Sundance in 1988. As Bruce was completing work on Broken Noses, he met the legendary jazz trumpeter and vocalist Chet Baker and began filming him, again with a mind to creating a short film based on their portrait sitting. But filming with Chet continued right through the presentation of Broken Noses in Cannes that year — with Bruce ultimately assembling the footage of travel, recording sessions, and interviews into his second feature, Let’s Get Lost (1988). The film debuted in Venice (where it won the Cinecritica award) and was subsequently nominated for a Grand Jury Award at Sundance, and for an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. Chop Suey, a kaleidoscopic portrait of the wrestler Peter Johnson, was released in 2001, and the impressionistic anti-war film A Letter to True in 2004. His work-in-progress Robert Mitchum feature, Nice Girls Don’t Stay for Breakfast was screened at the New York Film Festival in 2017. He has also directed seven short films: Beauty Brothers, Parts I-IV (1987), Backyard Movie (1991), Gentle Giants (1994), The Teddy Boys of the Edwardian Drape Society (1995), Wine and Cupcakes (2007), The Boy Artist (2008), and Liberty City is Like Paris to Me (2009).
Life and work
Weber was born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, to a Jewish family. His fashion photography first appeared in the late 1970s in GQ magazine, where he had frequent cover photos. Nan Bush, his longtime companion and agent, was able to secure a contract with Federated Department Stores to shoot the 1978 Bloomingdales mail catalog. He came to the attention of the general public in the late 1980s and early 1990s with his advertising images for Calvin Klein, and his portrait of the then young actor Richard Gere. His straightforward black-and-white shots, featuring an unclothed woman and man 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. His photograph for Calvin Klein of Olympic athlete Tom Hintnaus in white briefs is an iconic image. He photographed the winter 2006 Ralph Lauren Collection.
Some of Weber’s other earliest fashion photography appeared in the SoHo Weekly News and featured a spread of men wearing only their underwear. The photos became the center of controversy and Weber was told by some that he would never find work as a fashion photographer again. This reputation stuck with him, as he says: “I don’t really work editorially in a large number of magazines because a lot of magazines don’t want my kind of photographs. It’s too risky for them”. After doing photo shoots for and of famous people (many of whom were featured in Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine), Weber made short films of teenage boxers (Broken Noses), his beloved pet dogs, and later, a longer film entitled Chop Suey. He directed Let’s Get Lost, a 1988 documentary about jazz trumpeter Chet Baker. Weber’s photographs are occasionally in color; however, most are in black and white or toned shades. They are gathered in limited edition books, including A House is Not a Home and Bear Pond, an early work that shows Eric Nies from MTV’s The Real World series, among other models. Weber began collaborating with crooner Chris Isaak in the mid-1980s, photographing Isaak in 1986 for his second album, Chris Isaak. In 1988, Weber photographed a shirtless Isaak in bed for a fashion spread in Rolling Stone. Isaak appeared in Let’s Get Lost and Weber has directed a music video for Isaak. Weber photographed Harry Connick, Jr. for his 1991 album Blue Light, Red Light. In 1993, Weber photographed singer-songwriter Jackson Browne for his 1993 album I’m Alive.
Fashion label
Weber created the fashion label Weberbilt in 2003; his first line, “eat, swim, sex, sleep”, went on sale in boutiques in London and Miami Beach, Florida, in 2004.
Activism and public advocacy
Bruce and Nan have been dedicated supporters of social activism and a variety of charitable causes for decades, both publicly and privately, and remain committed to those efforts to this day. In 2014 Bruce was honored by ACRIA, a leading international HIV/AIDS research, education, and prevention organization, for his longstanding commitment to the organization and the worldwide fight against AIDS.
In September 2019, Bruce and Nan donated a limited-edition archival gelatin silver print photograph titled True and Tai, Montauk, NY 2003, 2003 to the Paddle 8 Auction benefiting the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, which supports programming that provides direct care and services to people affected by HIV and AIDS. In October 2019, Bruce and Nan were members of the Host Committee for the Plastic Pollution Coalition’s Special 10th Anniversary Eve Cocktail Fiesta commemorating ten years of working collaboratively with more than 800 organizations, businesses, and notable coalition members globally to eliminate single-use plastic. Proceeds benefited the Plastic Pollution Coalition, a project of Earth Island Institute.
Sexual assault allegations
In December 2017, model Jason Boyce sued Weber for sexual assault, including inappropriate touching during a 2014 casting session, in New York State Supreme Court. The suit also targets Jason Kanner of Soul Artist Management, which managed Boyce when the alleged assault took place, and Little Bear Inc., the production company operated by Weber’s companion, Nan Bush. A second model, Mark Ricketson, came forward in December 2017 alleging similar claims and joined Boyce’s lawsuit against Weber. Weber has denied the allegations, stating to The New York Times that the allegations were “untrue” and that he had “never touched anyone inappropriately”. In January 2018, The New York Times detailed sexual assault allegations by fifteen former and current male models against Bruce Weber. In January 2019, it was reported that Weber asked to dismiss the original suit by Jason Boyce, with evidence provided that the model sent him racy photos and texts prior to and after the shoots. The judge refused dismissal and as of September 30, 2020, the case continued.
Filmography
Bruce’s cinematic works—including his four feature-length films—often begin with a photo sitting. While he was photographing the Olympic hopefuls for Interview Magazine in 1984, Bruce met Andy Minsker, a young boxer from Oregon, and started interviewing him on camera. While he originally intended to make a short to accompany an exhibition he was opening in Paris, Bruce became very excited when he reviewed the dailies and decided to continue the story. Broken Noses (1987), the resulting feature documentary, was nominated for the Grand Jury Award at Sundance in 1988. As Bruce was completing work on Broken Noses, he met the legendary jazz trumpeter and vocalist Chet Baker and began filming him, again with a mind to creating a short film based on their portrait sitting. But filming with Chet continued right through the presentation of Broken Noses in Cannes that year — with Bruce ultimately assembling the footage of travel, recording sessions, and interviews into his second feature, Let’s Get Lost (1988). The film debuted in Venice (where it won the Cinecritica award) and was subsequently nominated for a Grand Jury Award at Sundance, and for an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. Chop Suey, a kaleidoscopic portrait of the wrestler Peter Johnson, was released in 2001, and the impressionistic anti-war film A Letter to True in 2004. His work-in-progress Robert Mitchum feature, Nice Girls Don’t Stay for Breakfast was screened at the New York Film Festival in 2017. He has also directed seven short films: Beauty Brothers, Parts I-IV (1987), Backyard Movie (1991), Gentle Giants (1994), The Teddy Boys of the Edwardian Drape Society (1995), Wine and Cupcakes (2007), The Boy Artist (2008), and Liberty City is Like Paris to Me (2009).
