Visionary
In a career spanning over two decades, German fashion photographer Horst Diekgerdes has shaped a signature aesthetic of the softly erotic and darkly dramatic. “Fashion and the context in which it is produced, of course, change and move on,” Diekgerdes says. And yet his approach has remained consistent, obsessively exploring the intersection of fantasy and formal composition. Out last month, his first monograph, Horst Diekgerdes, highlights his editorial work with fashion magazines, including Visionaire, AnOther Magazine, and Purple Fashion. “I saw many of my images published in other books, either by fashion magazines, fashion houses, or other book projects,” he says. “As much as I am proud of those publications, I felt that it was time to showcase my point of view.” Alongside more than 150 professional photos is a small selection of personal ones, including ones of his wife and daughter, plus snapshots from his youth growing up in rural Germany. “Horst is direct, open, as he brings his subjects to a space of being in beauty,” artist Urs Fischer writes in one of the book’s essays. “It’s a search for a reflection of his view. A synergy. It’s physical, sophisticated.”
