Herb Ritts was born in California in the '50s, a time when women began to assert itself with a more strong and seductive image, the miniskirt emerged and women began to lose their fear to show the flesh. As a child he helped his father doing carpentry work, but must be the influence of his mother, an interior designer, which sparked his interest in the aesthetic which he reflected through the photography.At college he studied art history which certainly opened his mind to new cultures and artistic expressions that lacked the sunny California, without studying photography but with great intuition all he had to do was refine its view of the world, experimenting with their tastes without engaging both the art and the study. In fact in his own words he define what he really is "many people who excel are self-taught" , that great truth.
Not bad to start having a career with a neighbour as Steve McQueen and remain friends with Richard Gere, in fact his first photograph when he still didn't considered himself a photographer was Richard in a desert gas station, Gere has just shot his first movie and this picture later appeared in many media, Herb instantly came up with the opportunity to photograph Brooke Shields, so he took courage and did not let the chance escape, for a talented person the road was sealed.Herb Ritts's photographs clearly have a sculptural aesthetic, with a palpable force and remarkable warmth. He was a true black and white artist, elegance and lightness of his images do not go unnoticed and let alone the worship of the human body.
If anyone has portrayed the tops of the 90s as Cindy Crawford or Christy Turlington, that's Herb Ritts, no doubt he was one of the photographers that towered these beauties into the kingdom of heaven from they would never get off.
His job shows the innate sensitivity of light, texture and warmth, he used large planes and spaces, areas of texture and light, like deserts or oceans or monumental places. This hobby is well reflected in his trip to Africa, since it did not matter if he was halfway around the world in a foreign country cause all these elements are universal, an image expresses a universal language.
As a true Californian his images express freedom, openness, lightness and cleanliness, his work is mutually own free and open. One of his biggest hits was "Fred with Tires" an honest image which found to be quite an achievement since, as often happens when the model "stop" posing emerges the best picture. His images are sensual rather than erotic, sensuality oozing from every pore.
DUO was his first published book, was an innovation of the time since it was the first book that showed images of same-sex partners. This meant that in some unconscious way the book should have become a benchmark for the fight against sex discrimination.Herb Ritts portraits are undoubtedly the best that you can see, you can feel the person you have in front, their inner quality is what makes them who they are. Frequently Herb commented that the most interesting people to photograph were the elderly, whom have lived their lives, that is reflected in their face.
An example is the wonderful picture Herb took when Elizabeth Taylor left the hospital after brain surgery, a very explicit picture in which the actress is seen with white hair and a scar from the operation, a distinct and unique photo, timeless. Herb Ritts has always said he likes photographing wrestlers, people who have survived. What matters is who the person is, the true inner beauty.Herb Ritts work has not been a merely photography, not pleased with his good work he aspired more. Herb has made some of the most sensual and memorable music videos of all time, who can forget the famous Chris Isaak's Wicked Game with a very young Helena Christensen but nothing innocent, a magnificent close-ups and all very detailed, let's keep dreaming to be part of that Wicked Game. Another of the most rated music video of Herb was Cherish by Madonna, where he is continuing smooching in the sand, hinting at and where we would like to be sirens to find some dolphins so muscular and strong as this magnificent artist shows. If Herb Ritts managed something pretty well is to awaken the desire in all its viewers.
On the other hand, we can not ignore how many commercials he has done for brands like Rochas, Calvin Klein, Revlon, Levi's and Victoria's Secret among others, always showing the potential of models and beauty unattainable.
Many of his photographs show us the preciousness of the male body, a strong muscular man who is in the Olympian gods, Greek sculptures were never as perfect as Herb Ritts male models. His excellence male model was Tony Ward, former boyfriend of Madonna and the most desirable man of the '80s, without a perfect physiognomy is one of those ugly men than dazzle, is mystery. Backflip '87 it's the most glaring picture, not forgetting the session with Cindy Crawford for Playboy in which she showed wicked seductress.
I could write about Herb Ritts for hours and never get tired, but I think here it is time to simply enjoy his legacy and not ever get tired of appreciating the wonderful subtlety with which a body can be photographed
