by Ellen von Unwerth
Kate and David, New York, 2003
Artist: Ellen von Unwerth
Shot in New York in 2003, this Fuji Crystal archival print catches Kate Moss and David Bowie mid-embrace in a bright loft, Moss in a red dress with her arms around Bowie as he throws a hand toward the lens to block the shot. Both wear the startled, caught-out expressions of a candid interrupted, the raised palm thrown large and soft in the foreground. Von Unwerth works in warm colour and close, turning two icons into co-conspirators dodging their own portrait.
Read as fine art, the picture is about fame and its refusal, two of the most photographed faces of their generations caught in the act of ducking the camera. The theme is complicity and play, the blocking hand a piece of shared comedy rather than real evasion, an intimacy staged between friends who know exactly how the image works. Von Unwerth’s signature is precisely this off-guard spontaneity, glamour photographed as mischief while her subjects stay in on the joke. The work suits a bold, characterful interior and speaks to collectors drawn to fashion photography’s crossover into fine art, and to the enduring pull of both sitters. Ellen von Unwerth’s photographs are issued as limited editions, each print part of a controlled run.
Sizes & Editions
40.6 × 50.8 cm (16 × 20 in), Fuji Crystal Archival Print
Size: medium
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