From Nirvana to Jeff Koons, Patti Smith to Ai Weiwei, the Dutch photographer explains why shooting musicians and painters is his passion
Lucian Freud, London 2008
Anton Corbijn has produced some of the most powerful pop culture imagery in recent decades. Drawing from three different series, Inwards & Onwards, #5 and Star Trak, a new exhibition places a particular focus on his portraits of visual artists – and features unseen and rarely displayed images. Anton Corbijn: Artists & More Artists at Château La Coste is at Old Store Winehouse, Château La Coste, Provence, France until 13 August 2023. It runs concurrently with the Arles photography festiva
Ai Weiwei, Beijing 2012
Anton Corbijn: ‘I took this portrait in a hurry. In 2012, I flew to Beijing to photograph Ai Weiwei in his compound. Shortly before we began a phone call summoned the dissident artist to a police station with little indication of how long he might be there. This is what gives this shot its air of zen and unease’
Jeff Koons, New York 2011
‘I guess this photo is kind of tongue in cheek. He was known for images of himself naked with Cicciolina so for him to appear to hide his face is quite funny. The work in front of his face is by him and is very heavy to lift. It is nothing like a balloon, more like a lead balloon’
Slash, San Jose 1992
The exhibition also presents Corbijn’s iconic representations of some of the world’s most influential musicians including Bob Dylan, Prince and David Bowie. While Corbijn usually depicts musicians without their instruments in frame, here the likes of Nick Cave, Johnny Cash, Tom Waits and Slash display them as a focal point
Patti Smith, New York 1999
‘I love the body language in this photograph. I had met Patti before but never properly photographed her. I asked her to be part of a project I was doing called 33 Still Lives which were fake-paparazzi shots. It is a long story but I had put the wrong film in the camera and this photo wasn’t what I was after so it never became part of that series, but I love it just as it is. She is very active as a photographer too and there is another photo I took of her in Paris with her Polaroid camera that is the only photo of mine I have hanging in my studio’
David Bowie, London 1993
Anselm Kiefer, Barjac 2008
Corbijn’s distinctive monochromatic style strives to portray the person, not the ‘star’; it brilliantly reveals the individual’s soul and emotion, while also exploring the complexities behind the celebrity status
Marlene Dumas, Amsterdam 2000
Often shooting his subjects in grungy urban environments or under lowering grey skies, Corbijn uses a slow shutter speed to capture gestures and movements. It is a unique photographic form that gives his work its gritty, edgy signature and
Courtney Love, Orlando 1995
‘This was the first time I photographed Courtney. I never did when Kurt [Cobain] was still alive although I saw them a few times as their hotel room in LA was right opposite mine when we did the video [for Nirvana’s 1993 single Heart Shaped Box]. Sometimes I think I am just too polite for this job. Anyway, she asked me to shoot her and her band Hole. We ended up in Florida during their tour and at the end of our day, with that beautiful fading light, we shot some images of her alone in the ocean. Full moon and swirling water, appearing like a Venus de Milo’
Nirvana, Seattle 1993
‘Nirvana were lovely and playful, I really enjoyed my two days shooting with them. Courtney showed Kurt some videos I did for Echo and the Bunnymen and the next thing I know I’m making the video for Heart Shaped Box. Kurt was full of ideas and a delight to work with. He asked me to do another video for Pennyroyal Tea, but I thought I could not top the first one so I declined. He then said if you don’t do it I will never do another video. And that was it. They never did and I so wish I had taken up that offer in hindsight’
Coldplay, Venice CA 2013
‘I don’t consider myself a “celebrity” photographer although some people I photograph can be considered that. To be honest I love to meet and photograph people whose work I like whether they are well known or not’
Peter Doig, Trinidad 2011
This is the only shoot Corbijn did with Doig and they spent around two days photographing. The painting in the background was not exhibited until 2021 where it debuted for the first time at Michael Werner gallery
Nick Cave, London 1997
