Who is Terry Richardson? This famous photographer is a favorite of many Western celebrities. He has become an iconic figure largely due to his overly frank style of work - his overly sexualized photographs shock the public. Moreover, some models even accused him of sexual violence and inappropriate behavior. Terry Richardson has worked with hundreds of celebrities, including Kate Moss, Miley Cyrus, Rihanna and Lady Gaga.
Facts from life
Born in New York in 1965, Richardson spent much of his youth in Paris, as his father was a photographer for French Vogue. Upon returning to America in 1969, Terry's parents divorced after his father had an affair with 17-year-old model, now actress Anjelica Huston.
Tired of city life, his mother Norma decided to move to Woodstock, but she soon grew tired of the quiet lifestyle, and after a short stay in London, the family moved to California in 1974.
Career
Richardson was given his first camera by his mother, actress Norma Kessler, in 1982. Now Terry is over fifty, he participates in advertising campaigns for such famous brands as Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford, Yves Saint Laurent and many others. However, his path to fame was quite long. In 1994, his photographs appeared in Vibe magazine (New York), and he was shown at Paris International Fashion Week that same year.
In 1995, he participated in an advertising campaign for fashion designer Katherine Hamnett, whose collection featured obscenely short skirts. Terry Richardson then worked in London (England) for The Face, Arena and other magazines. In 2012, the controversial photographer presented his first solo exhibition at a gallery in Los Angeles. In 2013, he photographed the Kardashian sisters Kim, Kourtney and Khloe for the launch of their LIPSY collection.
Harassment allegations
Since 2010, the photographer has literally been bombarded with numerous complaints about his inappropriate sexual behavior, coercion and violence. Terry Richardson has always denied any wrongdoing and has never been found guilty of any wrongdoing. Some models felt comfortable enough until he himself suddenly stripped naked. Despite everything, Terry Richardson continued to shoot, filling the covers of popular magazines.
In 2014, 6 more women publicly accused him of inappropriate behavior. This time the effect was more noticeable. Such publications as American Vogue, New-York Times, W-Magazine and Target broke ties with the fashion photographer. Then one of Richardson's longtime employers, shoe brand Aldo, cuts ties with him, followed by fashion house Roberto Cavalli.
Attentive artist or lustful predator?
Whatever reputation Terry Richardson enjoys, his photographs are published in the best magazines, many celebrities have posed for him - from Barack Obama to Justin Bieber. Madonna, Kate Moss, Miley Cyrus, Chloë Sevigny, Mila Kunis, the Olsen sisters, Beyoncé, Emily Ratejkauski, Lady Gaga posed for him. His work has been featured in top glamor magazines and he has been hired by YSL, Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford, Diesel, H&M, Mango, Supreme, Aldo, Jimmy Choo, Sisley and Gucci.
Celebrities want to work with him and use his services, despite his scandalous reputation. It's undeniable that many top fashion publications and designers are aware of the accusations they are ignoring Terry Richardson. Works of the famous provocateur and his style are commercially successful, and this is something to be reckoned with.
The last few years of his career were marred by allegations of sexual harassment. In 2010, he clashed at Paris Fashion Week with Danish model Rie Rasmussen, who accused Richardson of abusing his power in the fashion industry and harassing young women. In 2005, Romanian model Gabriela Johansson sued for breach of contract, fraud and invasion of privacy.
Fashion photographer status
Despite calls from fashion brands to boycott Richardson, he is still reaping the fruits of his labors. In 2015 alone, he worked with Harper's Bazaar, Rolling Stone, Italian and French editions of Vogue and GQ. He secured lucrative contracts with Valentino and Carolina Herrera. Richardson's in-demand status among the biggest brands and celebrities of our time has made him one of the most revered photographers of his generation. He has a very impressive professional portfolio. Terry Richardson is not just a fashion photographer, he is a bold provocateur who tried to erase the boundaries between fashion and eroticism.
Terry Richardson is a popular American photographer, the son of the famous fashion photographer Bob Richardson. As a child he lived in Paris, New York, London and Los Angeles. Over the years, Terry has built an impeccable reputation for himself and is now a sought-after top photographer. His photographs show the most famous top models, pop stars, musicians and movie stars.
Photographer Terry Richardson: his work
Richardson, with his distinctive appearance: mustache, sideburns, and vintage glasses, is an important figure in the world of fashion and show business. Among the many stars who have worked with him are Lady Gaga, Georgia May Jagger, Gisele Bundchen, Kate Moss, Lydia Hearst, Kate Upton, Rihanna, Will Ferrell, Woody Allen, Jared Leto and many others, the list goes on and on.
Since the beginning of his career, he has maintained simple aesthetic principles, often using plain white backgrounds and minimal photography props. Possessing incredible charisma, Terry Richardson has become a true legend and celebrity in the field of show business.
Biography facts
Terry Richardson was born on August 14, 1965 in New York City to photographer Bob Richardson and stylist Annie Lomax. As a child, he moved to Paris with his parents, who divorced soon after. In 1971, he and his mother moved to America.
Terry spent his youth in Hollywood and Los Angeles, where he attended high school. In the early 1990s, Terry Richardson played in several punk bands, and at the age of eighteen he began to take up photography. This harmless hobby gradually grew into a real passion. Despite his shyness, the talented teenager felt that he could show his creativity through his photographs. In 2012, Terry Richardson presented his first exhibition to the public in Los Angeles, California.
Carier start
After some time, his career in this field took off when he moved to New York and convinced Vibe magazine to shoot a series of photographs with his father. Although unsuccessful, the photographs taken by Terry Richardson marked the beginning of a monumental career.
Gradually, he began to collaborate with many manufacturing companies for the largest fashion brands, as well as for the most famous designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, Jimmy Choo and Tom Ford; with the most sought-after models and celebrities, including Lindsey Wixson, Crystal Renn, James Franco, Chloë Sevigny, Lara Stone. And even US President Barack Obama posed in front of his lens.
From a simple assistant to a professional
Terry Richardson, whose photographs appear on the covers of popular fashion publications, began his professional career as a simple assistant who gradually learned to photograph his surroundings, and later people. He ended up working with some of the biggest celebrities in Hollywood. These included Leonardo DiCaprio, Lindsay Lohan, Mickey Rourke and others. Richardson has also done a lot of work for famous brands such as Hugo Boss, Gucci and Dolce and Gabbana.
Terry Richardson: scandalous photo
His photographs often create quite a stir because some consider them provocatively sexual and even pornographic. Richardson also sometimes acts as a model himself and participates in the filming of various sex scenes with both women and men.
Terry Richardson himself, whose photographs are often provocative and provocative, says that these photos allow him to explore his sexuality, in addition, he is clearly not shy about showing his body in the most revealing positions.
In 2010, he was accused of sexual exploitation. Richardson publicly responded to these allegations, stating that they were completely false and baseless. Richardson's photographs, and more specifically his indecent photographs, have always been the subject of quite a bit of controversy throughout much of his career.
Terry Richardson never evoked a clear reaction from the public, both as a photographer and as a person. He can be called anyone: a genius and a banal vulgar, a subtle esthete and a preoccupied hooligan. For each viewer, his work evokes his own emotions, depending on his readiness to perceive the world without bias. Such a controversial personality as Terry Richardson does not fit into the framework of judgment, and the most objective critics have always noted that sometimes Terry wants to be torn to pieces, and sometimes it becomes awkward in front of him for his unfriendly essays. One thing is one hundred percent clear: Terry Richardson- one of the most interesting photographers of our time, otherwise they wouldn’t talk about him so much.
How many unsuccessful attempts have been made by hundreds of ambitious photographers seeking to gain fame through provocation, however, this path turned out to be not so wide. With Richardson, it’s the other way around: fame itself follows him, no matter what jungle it takes him. It all started with his celebrity parents Bob Richardson and Annie Lokmas, free and modern creative people who are not indifferent to photography. Terry Richardson grew up in Los Angeles, and Hollywood was not a big influence in shaping him as a person. At the age of nine, Terry suffered a severe blow associated with a car accident in which his mother was involved. Since then she has been bedridden. This event left a strong imprint on the teenage psyche, and Terry Richardson subsequently visited a psychiatrist several times.
Like many young people in the mid-80s Terry Richardson established himself in informal companies. For some time he became seriously interested in music, being a member of one of the underground rock bands. However, knowing a lot about photography and seeing its possibilities, I still decided to look for myself in this field. I must say that Terry Richardson was at the right time and in the right place. His aspirations quickly found their groove, and after a few years he was busy photographing Hollywood stars from the most unusual angles, causing a resonance necessary both for the stars themselves and for himself. Sisley, Gucci, iD, Dolce & Gabbana and many other brands lined up in front of his lens. Scandalous PR was already at that time one of the most effective ways to attract attention, and, therefore, to take up more space on the pages of the media and glossy magazines.
Shooting style and handwriting Terry Richardson difficult to classify. This is such a different photographer that even today it is difficult to predict him. To judge him as a photographer, it is necessary to review hundreds of his works. A significant portion of Richardson's photographs are openly pornographic. And, if we consider only this side of Terry, then it would be too little for such loud conversations about him. The main resonance is caused by his erotic works, which reflect a completely different Richardson: observant and serious, subtle and delicate, truthful and dramatic. But that's not all Terry. Among his works there are stills that are striking in their depth. These are not just beautiful photographs with well-placed light, but entire erotic stories, mysterious images, as if seen from afar, and captured with long-range optics. Sometimes it is similar to what we see in everyday life and exclaim when something unusual and intimate happens near us. One gets the impression that Terry Richardson always carries a cocked camera around his neck, and at every such opportunity he instantly takes a photo. Most photographers have only a few such unexpected shots, but Terry has hundreds. How he manages to get them in such quantities is a real mystery. Although there are rumors that Terry Richardson often hunts his models right on the street, takes them to a hotel room, where he persuades them to have sex with each other, and takes the camera. If he sees that he made a mistake in his choice, he unceremoniously leaves under a banal pretext and never returns - that’s what Terry is all about.
Being a highly paid, world-famous photographer, Richardson does not shy away from serious work on the development of his own porn site, where he himself loves to be a model. Without the slightest hesitation, he exposes his genitals, films same-sex relationships and scenes of outright debauchery. The nature of his photographic work is bisexual. Some people are disgusted by this, others are sympathetic, but today a certain swagger and debunking of glamorous images has become, as they say, a classic of the genre. May be Terry Richardson knows more about this...
Accused of years of harassing actresses and assistants, the topic of sexual violence has become one of the main topics in Western society. On October 24, glossy photographer Terry Richardson came under fire, having been repeatedly accused of an inappropriate approach to his work. Now the publishing house Conde Nast (it publishes Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker magazines), and then the fashion brands Valentino and Bulgari, have refused to cooperate with Richardson.
“I am writing to you on a very important matter. Conde Nast would no longer like to collaborate with Terry Richardson. All footage that was commissioned from him, but has not yet been published, must be destroyed and replaced with other materials,” wrote James Woolhouse in a letter to the publishing house.
For Valentino, Richardson shot one of the latest advertising campaigns; photographs were published on the brand’s Instagram. Now mentions of the photographer’s name have disappeared from their captions. “Our last campaign with Terry Richardson was filmed in July and we have no plans to work with him in the future. Of course, we take the accusations against him very seriously,” said a representative of the fashion house.
On Wednesday, October 25, clothing manufacturer Diesel, known for its aggressively sexual marketing in the past, announced that it was ending its business with Richardson.
Richardson himself does not consider himself guilty. He admitted he "interacted" with the models and "at times behaved in an overtly sexual manner" but insisted it was always with their consent.
“I worked with older women who were fully aware of the nature of the work and also signed the contract. I have never used job offers or threats to force someone to do anything. I treat those with whom I work with sufficient respect and consider them to be free individuals capable of assessing situations and making decisions. Therefore, it is difficult to consider them silent victims of circumstances, and I don’t want to become a victim either.”
A representative for the American photographer says much the same thing: “Terry is very upset about everything that is happening. He is an artist known for his sexually explicit work, and many of his professional relationships have been sexually explicit in nature. But all participants in the process acted voluntarily.”
Terry Richardson with partner Alex Bolotov.
Richardson with Hungarian fashion model Eniko Mihalik.
Terry Richardson photographed many film and porn industry stars, musicians, models, and politicians. He did advertising campaigns for fashion houses and collaborated with glossy magazines.
It was he who directed the provocative video for Miley Cyrus Wrecking Ball, which the singer then publicly regretted.
In 2001, model Liskula Cohen was photographed for Vogue: Richardson completely undressed himself, asked her to do the same and depict sex with another man. A woman named Anna told Jezebel in 2014 that he brought his penis close to her face during a 2008 shoot. Former model Charlotte Waters told Vocativ that in 2009, during a shoot, Richardson licked her naked buttocks, demanded affection from her and even masturbated in front of her.
In 2014, model Emma Appleton shared a message allegedly from Richardson in which she was offered a Vogue shoot in exchange for sex. Facebook representatives confirmed that the message was not from Richardson’s account, but this was enough for American Vogue not to work with him. Women's Wear Daily interviewed people who worked with Richardson, and one of them said he saw the photographer having sex with a woman on set.
“I have never used job offers to force someone to do something they didn’t want to do. I treat everyone I work with with enough respect to view them as people with free will who make their own decisions.”
Although American Vogue and some brands like H&M and Target stopped working with Richardson a few years ago, until recently this had little impact on his career. In May 2016, Richardson photographed Bella Hadid for the cover of W Korea, and in August 2017, he prepared an editorial shoot for Vogue Paris.
Another world-famous man has become a source of discussion about sexual harassment. This time the press started talking about Terry Richardson, who allowed himself to pester models on set.
Realist will talk about who Terry Richardson is, why stars worked with him, and how it happened that for many years he cultivated sex with the help of a camera lens.
What's happened
The Conde Nast publishing house, which produces Vanity Fair, Vogue, GQ and Glamor magazines, has stopped working with photographer Terry Richardson.
Later, Valentino and Bulgari abandoned joint projects with Terry Richardson. Valentino's Instagram, where the photographer's photographs were published, removed mentions of Richardson.
“Our last campaign with Terry Richardson was filmed in July, we have no plans to collaborate with him in the future. Of course, we take the allegations against him very seriously,” a Valentino representative said in a statement.
Why is Richardson so popular?
The pictures taken by Terry Richardson are called glamor porn. In his lens, women demonstrate sexuality and audacity, while men look confident and attractive. Richardson's signature photographs are framed against a white background, the focus of which is solely on the model posing for the photographer.
Terry Richardson has worked with the stars. His frame included Lana Del Rey, Cara Delevingne, Rihanna, Madonna, Lindsay Lohan, Miranda Kerr, Kim Kardashian, Bella Hadid, Jared Leto, James Franco and Barack Obama.
For example, Lady Gaga considers him her friend; together with Richardson, the singer released a book with 350 color and black and white photographs. The photographer took them for 10 months.
Terry Richardson not only takes photographs, but also shoots videos. He has made music videos for Miley Cyrus, Beyoncé, Thirty Seconds to Mars and other artists.
What is the photographer's fault?
There have long been unpleasant rumors about Terry Richardson's behavior during photo shoots. This topic was raised again, and this time seriously, when the world flared up.
On the set, Terry Richardson asks to be called “Uncle Terry,” and may ask to touch his erect penis or simulate sexual intercourse with other participants in the photo shoot. Models Liskula Cohen and Jamie Peck spoke about this. The latter was 19 years old at the time of the collaboration, like a model named Charlotte Waters, whom Richardson persuaded to perform oral sex during a photo shoot.
There are other girls who categorically did not like working with Terry because of his peculiar approaches to filming.
It is noteworthy that Terry Richardson, like Harvey Weinstein, did not take such liberties with celebrities who have great influence in society.
What Terry says in response to the accusations
In response to the accusations that have now rained down on Terry Richardson, the photographer, through a representative, notes that all the models knew about his style of work.
“Terry is very upset about everything that is happening. He is an artist who is known for his sexually explicit work, and of course many of his professional relationships have been sexually explicit in nature. But all participants in the process always acted voluntarily,” said Richardson’s representative.
