Chances are if you’ve ever picked up a copy of Vogue, you know Arthur Elgort’s work. His candid, natural-looking “snapshot” style breathed new life into fashion photography in the ‘70s, and his work over the years with models like Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, and Kate Moss has become nothing short of iconic. Now in his fifth decade in fashion, he has put together The Big Picture, both a retrospective show at New York’s Staley-Wise Gallery and a book published by Steidl due January 2015. As the final preparations were being put on the show (opening that night), Elgort took the time to speak with us about his career, the evolution of the fashion industry, and his future projects.
Warm and candid, and with a trace of the classic Brooklyn accent, Elgort is refreshingly direct, especially when it comes to how fashion shoots have changed over the years. “Before, you took one Polaroid [for clients], and then you’d just tell them when you’re finished," he explains. "Now they say, 'Well, maybe we’ll change the shoes, or we’ll change the hat,' or something about it. You have to work with the stylist more. Now they bring more clothes and change their minds more, that’s all! In the end, it doesn’t really matter. You can’t tell the difference.” Admittedly, working with digital is easier, he says.
When asked about his favorite subjects, he takes a moment to mull over all the iconic beauties he’s worked with. “I like a lot of the girls, you know," he says. "I like Karlie Kloss and I like Linda Evangalista. And Christy Turlington, who still works!" His stories of working with inexperienced models could make even our modern-day Supers blush, but in a way, it's in these streams of memories that you can pinpoint his success. “When I met Christy Turlington, she just began, so nobody wanted her then, and it was easy to get her. I like new girls. Sometimes, I see a girl, and she’s never worked before, and I think, 'This is the girl!'" His most powerful work is of these young, wild-eyed icons before they were icons, practically leaping from the photographs with pure instinct long before they became legends.
A legend himself, Elgort has pared down his 50-year career into a representative retrospective, a visual showcase capturing the evolution of his work for all to admire. Living up to its name, The Big Picture at Staley-Wise was nothing short of a spectacle. The gallery was as packed as a subway car at rush hour, filled with people of all ages. Business types rubbed elbows with cool kids, as the mass swirled slowly around the small gallery. At the center was Arthur Elgort, greeting the throngs of friends and well-wishers with joy and humility.
Upon departure, the elevator arrived and another 12 people jostled their way into the gallery. “Man, I’ve been here three years, and I’ve never seen anything like this!” the elevator operator says, laughing and shaking his head. This just proves Arthur Elgort’s iconic work is even more impressive in person, and The Big Pictur
Warm and candid, and with a trace of the classic Brooklyn accent, Elgort is refreshingly direct, especially when it comes to how fashion shoots have changed over the years. “Before, you took one Polaroid [for clients], and then you’d just tell them when you’re finished," he explains. "Now they say, 'Well, maybe we’ll change the shoes, or we’ll change the hat,' or something about it. You have to work with the stylist more. Now they bring more clothes and change their minds more, that’s all! In the end, it doesn’t really matter. You can’t tell the difference.” Admittedly, working with digital is easier, he says.
When asked about his favorite subjects, he takes a moment to mull over all the iconic beauties he’s worked with. “I like a lot of the girls, you know," he says. "I like Karlie Kloss and I like Linda Evangalista. And Christy Turlington, who still works!" His stories of working with inexperienced models could make even our modern-day Supers blush, but in a way, it's in these streams of memories that you can pinpoint his success. “When I met Christy Turlington, she just began, so nobody wanted her then, and it was easy to get her. I like new girls. Sometimes, I see a girl, and she’s never worked before, and I think, 'This is the girl!'" His most powerful work is of these young, wild-eyed icons before they were icons, practically leaping from the photographs with pure instinct long before they became legends.
A legend himself, Elgort has pared down his 50-year career into a representative retrospective, a visual showcase capturing the evolution of his work for all to admire. Living up to its name, The Big Picture at Staley-Wise was nothing short of a spectacle. The gallery was as packed as a subway car at rush hour, filled with people of all ages. Business types rubbed elbows with cool kids, as the mass swirled slowly around the small gallery. At the center was Arthur Elgort, greeting the throngs of friends and well-wishers with joy and humility.
Upon departure, the elevator arrived and another 12 people jostled their way into the gallery. “Man, I’ve been here three years, and I’ve never seen anything like this!” the elevator operator says, laughing and shaking his head. This just proves Arthur Elgort’s iconic work is even more impressive in person, and The Big Pictur