Tuesday 28 April 2009

Picture Imperfect

I am also a fan of Miss Guinness, though probably not as much as you. You seem to have a slightly alarming crush. However I saw something recently that I didn't like that much. BBC4 had a programme about fashion photographs that have changed the world. (Possibly a slight exaggeration, but let's go with it, shall we?)

Well, one of the photograhs was by Guy Bourdin. I love his photograhs enormously. Have you seen the Madonna video for Hollywood? Where she galivants around gyrating on pieces of furniture and has far too much fun with a bright yellow telephone? Well, basically it was the most obvious rip off of his photograps and she was sued for copyright infringement.


The fact that it was a carbon copy is probably why I was so obsessed with the video, and still am.

So when Rankin tried to recreate one of Guy's photographs I was probably already concerned. It is like when they adapt a book you love and they get the casting wrong and it just destroys everything. So here is the original pic:

And here is the recreation:

In photographs I love her. She really goes there. She must have a wardrobe twice the size of my house and I have a lot of respect for that. But I just didn't really feel her. She was a bit too brittle and uninteresting. I know that I might risk you never speaking to me again for this, but I just felt a bit disappointed that I didn't love her more. And I think the photograph is a poor imitation.

So, let me get behind the armour. I like the sound of that. And I can forget that this ever happened.

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