The works of Pierre et Gilles

I must have been about eighteen when I first discovered the works of Pierre et Gilles. I brought one of those Taschen postcard books of their photography from an independent book shop near my high school. My love for their work was instant and still ongoing to this day. There's just so much to love about Pierre and Gilles work. Their world is an enduring one filled with glitter, myth, camp-infused references to religion, fame, sex and homoeroticism. In their pictures they pay homage to the 'cult of celebrity' creating a glamorous shrine to movie icons, pop idols, fashion legends and porn stars. Their message is quite simple - all of their subjects, in contemporary life are worshipped equally alongside saints, martyrs and Hindu gods. Their pictures mesmerize, all glowing complexions and luminescent eyes, sparkling glitter and dazzling decor, somewhere between baroque opera and gaudy disco. This French duo don't just produce highly stylized photographs, they also build their own sets and costumes. Pierre takes all the photographs and looks after retouching, while Gilles, is the painter, set and costume designer. They are lovers, trend setters, maestros of visual fantasy. They first came to notoriety working for Thierry Mugler - moving on to design record sleeves, shot fashion ads and work on numerous magazine covers. They have photographed an eclectic array of famous folk over their thirty year career - Nina Hagen, Amanda Lear, Erasure, Kylie Minogue, Madonna, Marilyn Manson, Marc Almond, Iggy Pop, Catherine Deneuve, Tilda Swinton, Naomi Campbell, Paloma Picasso, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Yves Saint-Laurent and porn legend Jeff Stryker. I just had to mention THE Stryker. Add to this their venture into the world of music videos (In the early 90's they directed Marc Almond's music video for the song "A Lover Spurned" and Lamour's, "Tu es Foutu") and these two sure have done it all. I've attached a few of my favorite works by Pierre et Gilles to this Blog, their earlier stuff. I've also included a few links below to websites and videos, should you want to see more of Pierre et Gilles. I hope you fall in love with their pictures as I did all those years ago.

Pierre et Gilles - Fan Page

Lamour (Music Video by Pierre et Gilles) (Watch VIDEO Here)