NOT CAMERA SHY: Notoriously reclusive musician Bob Dylan is the latest artist to sit for Hedi Slimane in his “Portrait Of” series for Celine, in which he lenses artists, musicians and actors spanning the generations.
Slimane shot the legendary folk musician in his hometown of Malibu in December, wearing designs from the Celine Homme collection.
Celine Homme’s spring 2023 campaign, showcasing skaters in an outdoor setting, was also shot there in December.
While 81-year-old Dylan, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016 for his contribution to songwriting thanks to hits including “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “Mr. Tambourine Man,” continues to tour onstage, he otherwise rarely appears in front of the camera, with the exception of concert footage.
Related Articles
One exception was Richard Marquand’s 1987 movie “Hearts of Fire,” in which he played a former rock star-turned-recluse.
The musician has nevertheless met with success in recent years for his work as a visual artist and author, and his most recent book, “Philosophy of Modern Song,” was released in November.
In one of the two black-and-white shots released, Dylan poses in a rocking chair in dappled sunlight in a black leather jacket and shades, a Gibson electric guitar in hand. In the second, he is seen with an acoustic guitar, against a dark background.
Slimane does not just champion a rock aesthetic in his collections. His links with the music world go way back. He is known for spanning genres and picturing young unknowns as often as music legends in his pictures.
Recent images in his “Portraits Of” series for Celine include Julian Casablancas of The Strokes, Paul Banks and Martin Rev.
In the past, music legends including Dylan’s peers Lou Reed and Keith Richards have sat for the designer and photographer, as have Marilyn Manson, the late Amy Winehouse and Pete Doherty, for example.