Pierre et Gilles
Encyclopedia
Pierre et Gilles, Pierre Commoy and Gilles Blanchard, are French artists and romantic partners. They produce highly stylized photograph
s, building their own sets and costumes as well as retouching the photographs. Their work often features images from popular culture
, gay culture including pornography
(especially James Bidgood), and religion
.
. Gilles Blanchard, the painter, was born in 1953 in Le Havre
. In the early 1970s, Blanchard took a degree at the École des Beaux-Arts in Le Havre, while Commoy studied photography in Geneva
.
In 1974, Blanchard moved to Paris to paint and make illustrations for magazines and advertisements. Commoy started working as a photographer for the magazines Rock & Folk, Dépèche Mode and Interview
.
In autumn 1976, Commoy and Blanchard met at the inauguration of a Kenzo
boutique in Paris, and started living together in an apartment in Rue des Blancs-Manteaux that they also use as a studio. Next year they started working together; Blanchard would do the painting and Commoy took the photos. Their public breakthrough came with their images for the magazine Façade, with portraits of Andy Warhol
, Mick Jagger
and Iggy Pop
.
In 1979 they moved to the Bastille
quarter, made their first works for Thierry Mugler
, designed record sleeves for artist friends, and shot fashion ads and portraits for magazines. They also made their first trip to India, a country which has inspired much of their work.
In 1983 Pierre et Gilles had their first personal show at Galerie Texbraun in Paris.
In 1984 they worked extensivlely for musical artists like Mikado
(for whom they directed their first video), Sandii
, Etienne Daho
, Sheila
and Krootchey.
In 1987 they again travelled to India, and started working on religious and mythological themes.
In 1989 they became friends with Marc Almond
, with whom they would work with for many years.
In 1993 Pierre et Gilles were awarded the Grand Prix de Photographie by the City of Paris; and produced art work for Absolut Vodka
.
Their first retrospective exhibition was in 1996, at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie in Paris.
(the cover of her 1980 album Diamonds for Breakfast
, one of their first assignments), Lio
, Khaled
, Étienne Daho
, Marie France
, Mikado
, Marc Almond
, Marilyn Manson
, Madonna
, Kylie Minogue
, Erasure
, Deee-Lite
, The Creatures
, Nina Hagen
and CocoRosie
(the cover of their 2007 album The Adventures of Ghosthorse and Stillborn
); model Naomi Campbell
, actresses Tilda Swinton
and Catherine Deneuve
, actors Jérémie Renier
and Layke Anderson
and also designers Jean-Paul Gaultier
and Paloma Picasso
.
They directed Marc Almond's
1990 music video
for the song "A Lover Spurned" and Lamour's
video clip for "Tu es foutu".
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
s, building their own sets and costumes as well as retouching the photographs. Their work often features images from popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
, gay culture including pornography
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
(especially James Bidgood), and religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
.
Biography
Pierre Commoy, the photographer, was born in 1950 in La Roche-sur-YonLa Roche-sur-Yon
La Roche-sur-Yon is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.It is the capital of the department. Its inhabitants are called Yonnais.-History:...
. Gilles Blanchard, the painter, was born in 1953 in Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
. In the early 1970s, Blanchard took a degree at the École des Beaux-Arts in Le Havre, while Commoy studied photography in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
.
In 1974, Blanchard moved to Paris to paint and make illustrations for magazines and advertisements. Commoy started working as a photographer for the magazines Rock & Folk, Dépèche Mode and Interview
Interview (magazine)
Interview is an American magazine which has the nickname The Crystal Ball Of Pop. It was founded in late 1969 by artist Andy Warhol. The magazine features intimate conversations between some of the world's biggest celebrities, artists, musicians, and creative thinkers...
.
In autumn 1976, Commoy and Blanchard met at the inauguration of a Kenzo
Kenzo
is a common masculine Japanese given name.-Possible writings:Kenzō can be written using different kanji characters and can mean:*賢三, "wise, three"*健三, "healthy, three"*謙三, "humble, three"*健想, "healthy, concept"*建造, "build, create"*健蔵, "healthy, storehouse"...
boutique in Paris, and started living together in an apartment in Rue des Blancs-Manteaux that they also use as a studio. Next year they started working together; Blanchard would do the painting and Commoy took the photos. Their public breakthrough came with their images for the magazine Façade, with portraits of Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
, Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
and Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
.
In 1979 they moved to the Bastille
Bastille
The Bastille was a fortress in Paris, known formally as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. The Bastille was built in response to the English threat to the city of...
quarter, made their first works for Thierry Mugler
Thierry Mugler
Thierry Mugler is a French fashion designer and creator of several perfumes.-Childhood:Mugler was born in Strasbourg, France on 21 December 1948. His passion led him to focus more on drawing than on school and at the age of 9, he began to study classical dance...
, designed record sleeves for artist friends, and shot fashion ads and portraits for magazines. They also made their first trip to India, a country which has inspired much of their work.
In 1983 Pierre et Gilles had their first personal show at Galerie Texbraun in Paris.
In 1984 they worked extensivlely for musical artists like Mikado
Mikado (band)
Mikado was a French pop group from 1982 to 1991.-History:After leaving the pop group Lala et les Émotions, singer Pascale Borel met Grégori Czerkinsky. In 1982 together they created the pop duo Mikado, named after the Japanese game. Borel wrote the lyrics and sang and Czerkinsky composed and...
(for whom they directed their first video), Sandii
Sandii & the Sunsetz
Sandii & the Sunsetz were a Japanese technopop band that collaborated from 1979 until the 1990s. The Sunsetz, led by Makoto Kubota, and Sandii started as separate artists, and each have a separate discography...
, Etienne Daho
Étienne Daho
Étienne Daho is a French singer, songwriter and record producer who has released a number of synth-driven and rock-surf influenced pop hit singles since 1981.- Career :...
, Sheila
Sheila (singer)
Sheila is a French pop singer, who became successful as a solo artist in the 1960s and 1970s and later fronted a disco act called Sheila and B. Devotion. Sheila has sold over 24,000,000 copies of records in France and was the top selling artist in France in the 1960s and 1970s...
and Krootchey.
In 1987 they again travelled to India, and started working on religious and mythological themes.
In 1989 they became friends with Marc Almond
Marc Almond
Marc Almond is an English singer-songwriter and musician, who originally found fame as half of the seminal synthpop/New Wave duo Soft Cell...
, with whom they would work with for many years.
In 1993 Pierre et Gilles were awarded the Grand Prix de Photographie by the City of Paris; and produced art work for Absolut Vodka
Absolut Vodka
Absolut Vodka is a brand of vodka, produced near Åhus, Skåne, in southern Sweden. Since July 2008 the company has been owned by the French firm Pernod Ricard who bought V&S Group from the Swedish government....
.
Their first retrospective exhibition was in 1996, at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie in Paris.
Work
People photographed by Pierre et Gilles include: musicians Amanda LearAmanda Lear
Amanda Lear is a French singer, lyricist, composer, painter, TV presenter, actress and novelist....
(the cover of her 1980 album Diamonds for Breakfast
Diamonds for Breakfast
Diamonds For Breakfast is the fourth studio album by French singer Amanda Lear, released in January, 1980 by West German label Ariola-Eurodisc...
, one of their first assignments), Lio
Lio
Lio is a singer and actress who was a pop icon in France and Belgium during the 1980s.- Biography :...
, Khaled
Khaled (musician)
Khaled Hadj Ibrahim , better known as Khaled, is a raï singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist born in Sidi El Houari in Oran Province of Algeria...
, Étienne Daho
Étienne Daho
Étienne Daho is a French singer, songwriter and record producer who has released a number of synth-driven and rock-surf influenced pop hit singles since 1981.- Career :...
, Marie France
Marie France
Marie-France Garcia is a French singer and actress. She is transsexual and a Parisian pop icon of the 1970s.- Biography :...
, Mikado
Mikado (band)
Mikado was a French pop group from 1982 to 1991.-History:After leaving the pop group Lala et les Émotions, singer Pascale Borel met Grégori Czerkinsky. In 1982 together they created the pop duo Mikado, named after the Japanese game. Borel wrote the lyrics and sang and Czerkinsky composed and...
, Marc Almond
Marc Almond
Marc Almond is an English singer-songwriter and musician, who originally found fame as half of the seminal synthpop/New Wave duo Soft Cell...
, Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson may refer to:* Marilyn Manson , an American rock musician* Marilyn Manson , the American rock band led by the singer of the same name...
, Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
, Erasure
Erasure
Erasure are an English synthpop duo, consisting of songwriter and keyboardist Vince Clarke and singer Andy Bell. Erasure entered the music scene in 1985 with their debut single "Who Needs Love Like That"...
, Deee-Lite
Deee-Lite
Deee-Lite was an American house and club/dance group, formed in New York City, United States. The group's best-known single was "Groove Is in the Heart", from their 1990 debut album, World Clique. However, Deee-Lite achieved longer lasting success on the U.S...
, The Creatures
The Creatures
The Creatures were a musical act formed in 1981 as a side-project for Siouxsie and the Banshees members Siouxsie Sioux and Budgie. The Times described their music as "adventurous art rock built around Siouxsie's extraordinary voice and drummer Budgie's battery of percussion".With the dissolution of...
, Nina Hagen
Nina Hagen
Nina Hagen is a German singer and actress.-Early years:Hagen was born as Catharina Hagen in the former East Berlin, East Germany, the daughter of Hans Hagen , a scriptwriter, and Eva-Maria Hagen, an actress and singer...
and CocoRosie
CocoRosie
CocoRosie is a musical group formed in 2003 by sisters Bianca "Coco" and Sierra "Rosie" Casady. The sisters were born and raised in the United States, but formed the band in Paris after meeting for the first time in years...
(the cover of their 2007 album The Adventures of Ghosthorse and Stillborn
The Adventures of Ghosthorse and Stillborn
The Adventures of Ghosthorse and Stillborn is the third full-length studio album by CocoRosie, released on April 10, 2007 to mixed reviews.- Background :...
); model Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell is a British model. Scouted at the age of 15, she established herself among the top three most recognisable and in-demand models of the late 1980s and early 1990s, and she was one of six models of her generation declared "supermodels" by the fashion world...
, actresses Tilda Swinton
Tilda Swinton
Katherine Mathilda "Tilda" Swinton is a British actress known for both arthouse and mainstream films. She has appeared in a number of films including The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Burn After Reading, The Beach, We Need to Talk About Kevin and was nominated for a Golden Globe for her...
and Catherine Deneuve
Catherine Deneuve
Catherine Deneuve is a French actress. She gained recognition for her portrayal of aloof and mysterious beauties in films such as Repulsion and Belle de jour . Deneuve was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1993 for her performance in Indochine; she also won César Awards for that...
, actors Jérémie Renier
Jérémie Renier
Jérémie Renier is a Belgian actor. He lives in Paris, France. His film debut was in the critically praised La Promesse , directed by Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne. He became better known to worldwide audiences in Brotherhood of the Wolf and L'Enfant...
and Layke Anderson
Layke Anderson
-Selected filmography:*Re-Kill*House of Boys*Closing the Ring*Dolphins*Popcorn*X2: X-Men United-External links:*...
and also designers Jean-Paul Gaultier
Jean-Paul Gaultier
Jean Paul Gaultier , born 24 April 1952 in Arcueil, Val-de-Marne, France) is a French haute couture fashion designer. Gaultier was the creative director of Hermès from 2003 to 2010. In the past, he has hosted the television series Eurotrash....
and Paloma Picasso
Paloma Picasso
Anne Paloma Picasso known professionally as Paloma Picasso, is a French/Spanish fashion designer and businesswoman, best known for her jewelry designs and signature perfumes. She is the youngest daughter of famed 20th-century artist Pablo Picasso and painter and writer Françoise Gilot...
.
They directed Marc Almond's
Marc Almond
Marc Almond is an English singer-songwriter and musician, who originally found fame as half of the seminal synthpop/New Wave duo Soft Cell...
1990 music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song "A Lover Spurned" and Lamour's
Lamour
Lamour is a surname, and may refer to:* Dorothy Lamour, American film actress* Jean-François Lamour, French former fencer and current politician* Lexi Lamour, American pornographic actress...
video clip for "Tu es foutu".