Juergen Teller's shockingly stark and no-holds-barred approach to photography has made him one of the most iconic lensman in the fashion industry today. His images of celebrities flirt with fantasy, reality and often controversy - such as his erotic and provocative photo series featuring model Kristen McMenamy shot in the home of the late Italian architectural icon Carlo Mollino - and designer Vivienne Westwood in the nude, taken for his exhibition 'Men and Women' which explored male and female power and virility at different stages of life.
Teller's artistic freedom allows him to capture personality and character in abundance, seen across most of his commercial photography, including a cheeky Victoria Beckham in a Marc Jacobs shopping bag for the designer's spring/summer 2008 campaign, and actress Charlotte Rampling and himself in a series of naked self-portraits for the 'Louis XV' series (Marc Jacobs spring/summer 2004 campaign), which was less about fashion surprisingly, and more about the intimacy between two human beings.
Now in a new exhibition entitled 'Woo', coming to London's ICA this month, Teller's mix of fashion and commercial photography which has spanned decades and icons, will be on display alongside more intimate family portraits and his own personal collections 'Irene im Wald' and 'Keys to the House', taken in his hometown in Germany and family home in Suffolk. From Kurt Cobain at the height of the grunge movement in the 90s and the iconic cover image for Sinead O'Connor's single Nothing Compares To You, and of course, Kate Moss in a wheelbarrow in Gloucestershire taken in 2010 - 'Woo' will also feature a series of scathing complaint letters sent in by the readers of Die Zeit, a German magazine supplement in the country's most respected newspaper, in which Teller was formerly commissioned to explain his photographs via a weekly column.
Teller's photography is honest, unpretentious and always full of an element of surprise, so if you haven't yet experienced his archive of work, then this exhibition promises to be a bold and racy feast for your eyes.
Juergen Teller: Woo is at the ICA, London from 23 January to 17 March. For more info, head HERE.