Helmut Newton: A Retrospective

Helmut Newton: A Retrospective

A critique of “Jenny Kapitan, Pension Dorian”

                        Helmut Newton was an influential and successful German-Australian fashion photographer for renowned magazines such as Vogue (Australia, British, and French) and designers such as Yves Saint Laurent. Propelled to fame in the 1970’s, Newton became known for his controversial scenes, his voyeurism, and his focus on the strong female subject. His work is currently on display at FOAM Photography Museum, and is a powerful tribute to the rise of feminism within the fashion industry. The FOAM exhibit, titled Helmut Newton: A Retrospective, features both his most recognizable pieces, as well as some of his lesser-known photographs.

                        While initially criticized for his almost pornographic portrayals of women (The Dummies, 1978), controversial scenarios (Crocodile Eating Ballerina, 1983), and borderline voyeurism (American Playboy, 1989), Newton paved the way for arguably the most ultimate form of female empowerment. Many of his photographs involve female subjects in powerful stances with determined expressions—the images prioritize the identity of the subject and shift the focus from fashion to the individual.

Crocodile Eating Ballerina, 1983

                        A series of monochrome photos published in 1977 for a fashion editorial combines models with prostheses, orthopedic corsets, crutches, and casts. The photos are displayed on a cold, stone-blue wall, which fits with the models’ similarly cold gazes. One photograph in particular is especially compelling: titled Jenny Kapitan, Pension Dorian, this piece features a naked woman whose right leg is enclosed by a plaster cast well above the knee. She leans on a crutch and wears a neck brace. Yet despite these obvious handicaps and physical signs of pain and discomfort, she does not appear to be suffering. She stands straight. Her head is raised, her eyes fixate on the camera, her hips and chest thrust forward with conviction. Her sly, smirking lips seem as though they have something important to share.

Jenny Kapitan, Pension Dorian, Berlin, 1977

                        While the viewer could interpret exposure as such, the model’s nakedness is not a handicap. It is easy to think of someone who has been stripped down of clothing to feel exposed and vulnerable. Yet in Jenny Kapitan, Pension Dorian, as well as Newton’s many other photographs, the model does seem vulnerable. Instead she seems deliberately nude, not timidly exposed. She takes charge of her situation, and demonstrates intent and power behind her ensemble.

                        Her environment further elevates this sense of power. The subject is surrounded by an ornate and fully decorated room. Displayed behind her is a large painting; above, a sparkling chandelier. The walls are covered in an ornamental paper. The stark contrast between the model’s surroundings and her condition is lessened by her poise and the nonchalance she exudes. The elegance of the model’s environment and the determination of her stance convinces the viewer of the her strength, which transcends any physical limitation.

                        The donning of medical artifacts instead of traditional fashion items (clothing, accessories), or the lack thereof, is bold choice—but fashion and prosthetics are not mutually exclusive. Fashion, in a sense, is a form of prosthesis: clothing and makeup are similarly used to cover flaws and compensate for shortcomings. In Jenny Kapitan, Pension Dorian, the model is fully aware of her own physical shortcomings, but refuses to let them define her stance. Instead, she embraces her prostheses and uses them to reaffirm her own strong, powerful position in the world.

The cast, neck brace, and cane elevates the power exuded by the model: not only is she operating within the physical constraints of body and machine, but she also embraces this constraint and rises well above her disability.  

                        Braces, prostheses, and crutches in fashion can be culturally appropriating to the disabled community. People with disabilities cannot make a choice when it comes to their limitations, and pairing medical devices with a model who does not actually need them can be offensive. The model, in reality, is fully abled; when the cameras are off, she can step out of her prostheses with ease. But the use of prostheses simply for fashion does not seem to be Newton’s primary goal. He is making a larger statement, using the physical manifestations of disability to demonstrate the power of the female. When considering other photographs of similarly dominant women, it is apparent to the viewer that Newton is more concerned with the societal handicaps women face in their day-to-day life. In context, the subject’s ability to transcend her exaggerated disabled appearance despite these physical and societal handicaps is the ultimate form of strength. Newton’s transformation of both nudity and disability into power shows the viewer that woman’s strength is something to be celebrated.