‘I learn a lot from these people’: Anton Corbijn photographs artists – in pictures

From Nirvana to Jeff Koons, Patti Smith to Ai Weiwei, the Dutch photographer explains why shooting musicians and painters is his passion

Main image: ‘He was always great looking’ … David Bowie, London 1993. Photograph: Anton Corbijn

  • Lucian Freud, London 2008

    Anton Corbijn has produced some of the most powerful pop culture imagery in recent decades. Drawing from three different series, Inwards & Onwards, #5 and Star Trak, a new exhibition places a particular focus on his portraits of visual artists - and features unseen and rarely displayed images. Anton Corbijn: Artists & More Artists at Château La Coste is at Old Store Winehouse, Château La Coste, Provence, France until 13 August 2023. It runs concurrently with the Arles photography festival
    Lucian Freud, London 2008Considered one of the most celebrated portrait photographers of his generation, Corbijn has produced some of the most powerful pop culture imagery of the 21st century. Drawing from three different series, Inwards & Onwards, #5, and Star Trak, the exhibition places a particular focus on portraits of visual artistsAll photographs: Anton Corbijn

  • Ai Weiwei, Beijing 2012

    Anton Corbijn: ‘I took this portrait in a hurry. In 2012, I flew to Beijing to photograph Ai Weiwei in his compound. Shortly before we began a phone call summoned the dissident artist to a police station with little indication of how long he might be there. This is what gives this shot its air of zen and unease’
    Ai Weiwei, Beijing 2012 Copyright Anton Corbijn (00)“I took this portrait in a hurry. In 2012, he flew to Beijing to photograph Ai Weiwei in his compound, shortly before we began a phone call summoned the dissident artist to a police station with little indication of how long he might be there – ultimately giving this shot its’ air of zen and unease”.

  • Jeff Koons, New York 2011

    ‘I guess this photo is kind of tongue in cheek. He was known for images of himself naked with Cicciolina so for him to appear to hide his face is quite funny. The work in front of his face is by him and is very heavy to lift. It is nothing like a balloon, more like a lead balloon’
    Jeff Koons, New York 2011 “I guess the photo is kind of tongue in cheek. He was known for images of himself naked with Cicciolina so for him to appear to hide his face is quite funny. The work in front of his face is a work by him and is very heavy to lift, it is nothing like a balloon more like a lead balloon. Literally.”

  • Slash, San Jose 1992

    The exhibition also presents Corbijn’s iconic representations of some of the world’s most influential musicians including Bob Dylan, Prince and David Bowie. While Corbijn usually depicts musicians without their instruments in frame, here the likes of Nick Cave, Johnny Cash, Tom Waits and Slash display them as a focal point
    Slash, San Jose 1992 The exhibition also presents Corbijn’s iconic representations of some of the world’s most influential musicians including Bob Dylan, Prince and David Bowie. Whilst Corbijn usually depicts musicians without their instruments in frame, the portraits in the showing Nick Cave, Johnny Cash, Tom Waits and Slash do just that/are the focus

  • Patti Smith, New York 1999

    ‘I love the body language in this photograph. I had met Patti before but never properly photographed her. I asked her to be part of a project I was doing called 33 Still Lives which were fake-paparazzi shots. It is a long story but I had put the wrong film in the camera and this photo wasn’t what I was after so it never became part of that series, but I love it just as it is. She is very active as a photographer too and there is another photo I took of her in Paris with her Polaroid camera that is the only photo of mine I have hanging in my studio’
    Patti Smith, New York 1999“I love the body language in this photograph. I had met Patti before but never properly photographed her. I had asked her to be part of a project I was doing called “33 Still Lives” which were fake-paparazzi shots. It is a long story but I had put the wrong film in the camera and this photo was nothing what I was after so it never became part of that series but I love it just as it is. She is very active as a photographer too and there is another photo I took of her in Paris with her Polaroid camera that is the only photo of mine I have hanging in my studio.”

  • David Bowie, London 1993

    ‘This was the last time I photographed David I believe, not that I knew that at the time of course. I really like this shoot, and I also loved the first time I photographed him, when he was playing the Elephant Man in 1980. He was always great looking, intelligent and charming, and he had a great sense of humour. He was the ideal person in front of the camera. This particular photo was done in the rain, or perhaps it was light snow, but whatever it was it made the end result more interesting’
    David Bowie, London 1993 “This was the last time I photographed David I believe, not that you know that at the time of course. I really like this shoot, and I also loved the first time I photographed him, when he was playing the Elephant Man in 1980. He was always great looking, intelligent and charming, and had a great sense of humour. He was the ideal person in front of the camera. This particular photo was done in the rain, or perhaps it was light snow, but whatever it was it made the end result more interesting.”

  • Anselm Kiefer, Barjac 2008

    Corbijn’s distinctive monochromatic style strives to portray the person, not the ‘star’; it brilliantly reveals the individual’s soul and emotion, while also exploring the complexities behind the celebrity status
    Anselm Kiefer, Barjac 2008Corbijn’s distinctive monochromatic style strives to portray the person, not the ‘star’; it brilliantly reveals the individual’s soul and emotion, whilst also exploring the complexities behind the celebrity status.

  • Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, London 2017

    ‘I love working with painters. It started with Don Van Vliet, aka Captain Beefheart, and with German painter Imi Knoebel in the 1980s. Then I did a project together with Marlene Dumas and I’ve been hooked ever since. This shoot with Lynette was in her small studio somewhere in Hackney if I recall correctly, and was instigated by American Vogue. I really love her work but she would not allow me to shoot works that were not finished yet. As I always love brush strokes, this worked well for me’
    Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, London 2017 “I just love working with painters. It is like a serious hobby as I don’t do that to earn money but purely out of curiousity to meet the minds behind the work. It started with Don van Vliet, AKA Captain Beefheart and with German painter Imi Knoebel in the 80’s. Then I did a project together with Marlene Dumas and I got hooked ever since. This shoot with Lynette was in her small studio somewhere in Hackney if I recall correctly and was instigated by American Vogue. I really love her work but she would not allow me to shoot works that were not finished yet but as I always love brush strokes, this worked well for me.”

  • Marlene Dumas, Amsterdam 2000

    Often shooting his subjects in grungy urban environments or under lowering grey skies, Corbijn uses a slow shutter speed to capture gestures and movements. It is a unique photographic form that gives his work its gritty, edgy signature and reportage feel
    Marlene Dumas, Amsterdam 2000Often shooting his subjects in grungy urban environments or under lowering grey skies, Corbijn uses a slow shutter speed to capture gestures and movements in a unique photographic form that gives his work its gritty, edgy signature and reportage feel.

  • Courtney Love, Orlando 1995

    ‘This was the first time I photographed Courtney. I never did when Kurt [Cobain] was still alive although I saw them a few times as their hotel room in LA was right opposite mine when we did the video [for Nirvana’s 1993 single Heart Shaped Box]. Sometimes I think I am just too polite for this job. Anyway, she asked me to shoot her and her band Hole. We ended up in Florida during their tour and at the end of our day, with that beautiful fading light, we shot some images of her alone in the ocean. Full moon and swirling water, appearing like a Venus de Milo’
    Courtney Love, Orlando 1995 “The first time I photographed Courtney. I never did when Kurt was still alive although I saw them a few times as their hotel room in LA was right opposite mine when we did the video. Sometimes I am just too polite for this job I think. Anyway, she asked me to shoot with her and Hole, her band. We ended up in Florida during their tour and kind of at the end of our day, with that beautiful fading light, we shot some images of her alone in the ocean. Full moon and swirling water, appearing like a Venus de Milo.”

  • Nirvana, Seattle 1993

    ‘Nirvana were lovely and playful, I really enjoyed my two days shooting with them. Courtney showed Kurt some videos I did for Echo and the Bunnymen and the next thing I know I’m making the video for Heart Shaped Box. Kurt was full of ideas and a delight to work with. He asked me to do another video for Pennyroyal Tea, but I thought I could not top the first one so I declined. He then said if you don’t do it I will never do another video. And that was it. They never did and I so wish I had taken up that offer in hindsight’
    Nirvana, Seattle 1993 “Nirvana had asked me to do a shoot as did Details magazine so I ended up shooting with the band for 2 days straight in and around Seattle. They were lovely and playful, I really enjoyed my time with them. Then Courtney showed Kurt some videos I did for Echo and the Bunnymen and next thing I know I am making a video with Nirvana for Heart Shaped Box. Kurt was just full of ideas and a delight to work with. He asked me after that video to do another one for Penny Royal Tea, but I thought I could not top the first one so I declined as I didn’t want to disappoint him. He then said if you don’t do it I will never do another video. And that was it. They never did and I so wish I had taken up that offer in hindsight.”

  • Coldplay, Venice CA 2013

    ‘I don’t consider myself a “celebrity” photographer although some people I photograph can be considered that. To be honest I love to meet and photograph people whose work I like whether they are well known or not’
    Coldplay, Venice CA 2013 I don’t consider myself a ‘celebrity’ photographer although some people I photograph can be considered that. To be honest I love to meet and photograph people whose work I like whether they are well known or not.

  • Peter Doig, Trinidad 2011

    This is the only shoot Corbijn did with Doig and they spent around two days photographing. The painting in the background was not exhibited until 2021 where it debuted for the first time at Michael Werner gallery
    Peter Doig, Trinidad 2011This is the only shoot they did together and they spent around 2 days photographing. The painting (name?) in the background not exhibited until 2 years ago where it was debuted for the first time at Michael Werner gallery.

  • Nick Cave, London 1997

    Speaking about his series Inwards & Onwards, Corbijn said: “I was just going back to basics – taking simple black-and-white photographs of people I wanted to meet. I learn a lot from these people. I meet these people and my life gains something from them, and then I go on again’
    Nick Cave, London 1997Speaking about his series Inwards & Onwards, Corbijn said: “I was just going back to basics – taking simple black-and-white photographs of people I wanted to meet. I learn a lot from these people. I meet these people and my life gains something from them, and then I go on again’
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