Paolo Roversi portrait of Natalia Vodianova.

Photographed on large format 8×10 Polaroid film in Paris 2003. From the exhibition at Fotografiska Stockholm      

© Paolo Roversi used with permission.

 

Paolo Roversi  is one of my all time favorite artists & portrait photographers. Though many see his images as fashion photography, his intimate portraiture & nudes, is in my opinion what makes him so eminent.

Besides models like Guinevere Van Seenus & Natalia Vodianova, Roversi has portrayed countless celebrities. Including Juliette Binoche, Rihanna, Scarlett Johansson, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton, Emma Watson, Kate Middleton etc.

His images are exhibited in galleries around the world, and sold as fine art photography prints & original Polaroids.

Most of them are commissions for magazines like Vogue, W, ID & for advertising clients like Giorgio Armani, Guerlain, Dior, Cerrutti, Pirelli etc

Paolo Roversi camera equipment & lightning technique

In the 1980s Roversi started using large format 8×10 Polaroids, as his main technique, which is also a big part off his signature style. The 8×10 large format camera brings a slowness to the photographic process, which intensifies the connection & the concentration between model & photographer.

The special colors & contrast  of the Polaroid film & the instant process, fits perfectly to his beautiful  dark & moody images.

Roversi’ use of the large format Polaroid technique is a big part of his images & and the dreamy expression.

But it’s important to understand, that the mood, expressions etc is due to the man behind the camera.

When film stock ran out after Polaroid’s bankruptcy, it was time for a change.

After that Paolo Roversi have used a Hasselblad V camera with a digital camera back.

He photographed the Pirelli calendar 2020 on a Nikon digital DSLR camera.

His main light is daylight, HMI, tungsten & Mac-Lite flash lights.

Books

Dior Images by Paolo Roversi was published on February 27, 2018 by Rizzoli.

His book, “Natalia” with portrait & nude images of the Natalia Vodianova was scheduled for publication in 2017 by Rizzoli International Publications.

But is still not unavailable at the time of writing.

Previous books include Libretto, Nudi, Studio & Guinevere Van Seenus.

Recent & upcoming exhibitions:

Galerie Camera Obscura Paris France with the exhibition “Portraits” from September 3rd to the 29th of October 2022.

Dallas Contemporary Dallas Texas USA with the exhibition Birds 30 January 2021 – 22 August 2021.

Featuring images from Roversi’s collaboration with the fashion brand Comme des Garçons and its founder designer Rei Kawakubo.

MAR Museo d’Arte della città di Ravenna Italy: Paolo Roversi. Studio Luce October 10th 2020 – January 10th 2021

Fahey/Klein Gallery Los Angeles USA with the exhibition Intangible Presence from September 5th – October 12th, 2019.

Pace/MacGill Gallery New York USA: Doubts February 14th – March 23th 2019

Shoot gallery in Oslo Norway from 26 April – 26 May 2018

This text was originally published in connection with Roversi’s exhibition at  Fotografiska Stockholm  Sweden October 4th – 12 January 2014.

 

Text © Kenneth Rimm all rights reserved.
No usage without written permission.