Sotheby’s London has opened an exhibition of Fabien Baron’s portfolio of photographs taken in the frozen landscapes of Greenland. This exhibition is yet another part Frieze Week. The project, entitled Monuments, represents a collaboration between maison Moncler and the photographic brand Leica, which has resulted in a “Moncler Edition” of the new fast-lensed Leica X camera.
The photographer and French director, art director and magazine editor – best known for his iconic ad campaigns and work as editorial director of Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine – was asked by Moncler president Remo Ruffini to test the new camera in the dramatic yet chilling ice fields and glaciers of Greenland, which is the least densely populated country in the world.
Baron joined Harper’s Bazaar in 1992 as creative director working with the editor-in-chief. He was brought on to shake up the magazine. According to UK’s The Independent, Baron’s work “took Bazaar’s competitors by storm” and “created a truly distinctive look, clean, clear, elegant, modern.” It was quickly dubbed “the world’s most beautiful fashion magazine”. In that same year; Baron started working with Calvin Klein for what would be the next 20 years as creative director for the brand.
Also in 1992, Baron designed Madonna’s Sex book photographed by Steven Meisel. Baron shot and directed the documentary, Sex featuring Madonna. The documentary was released alongside her album Erotica. It was Baron who directed the music video for the title track – which was subsequently banned by MTV.
Baron, however, decided against photographing the landscape in a documentary style and instead turned the vistas into a colossal theatrical stage by lighting the scenes at night.
“I wanted to convey an idea that this was not real, even though it was real, a little bit of metamorphosis of the place,” Stated the photographer and director to WWD. “I felt like the place was so monumental, I wanted to light it like a monument, to show it in a different light.”
“The challenge between man and nature, which drives us to seek new creative solutions for taking on the harshest climes and the coldest temperatures, is part of the DNA of Moncler,” said Ruffini in a statement to the press.