Legendary US photographer Bruce Weber gets major retrospective in Prague
An exhibition of the legendary US photographer Bruce Weber, known mainly for his work with fashion brands and magazines, is currently underway at the Stone Bell House on Prague’s Old Town Square. Called Bruce Weber: My Education, it is his first ever major European retrospective, mapping more than five decades of his career.
The 78-year-old photography legend Bruce Weber is probably best-known for his ad campaigns for famous fashion brands, such as Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren, as well as his work for Vogue, Elle, Vanity Fair and other fashion magazines.
Weber was born in March 1946 in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, to a Jewish family. He began making waves in fashion photography in the late 1970s with his cover shots for GQ magazine. He gained wider recognition in the late 1980s and early 1990s through his iconic advertising campaigns for Calvin Klein and his memorable portrait of a young Richard Gere.
Ha has also photographed important cultural and political figures, with some of his most famous images including unique portraits of Nelson Mandela, Georgia O’Keeffe and Louise Bourgeois.
All of them are currently on display at his first ever major European retrospective, organised by the City Gallery Prague. This is what Weber told Czech Radio when asked how it feels to look back on more than five decades of his work:
“When I look at all these photographs I almost believe that they would be the same kind of things I would have taken as a young kid, kicking around in the Midwest.
“The reason why it is so wild for me to come here is that I have so many emotions about some of these pictures. Because I had really amazing experiences, getting there, doing the photographs and then living with the photographs for the rest of my life. So I think that my photographs really, truly haven't changed you know.”
Weber’s connection to Czechia dates to the early 2000s, when he photographed the late Australian actor Heath Ledger, who was filming A Knight's Tale at the Barrandov Film Studios.
“I had such a good time with him. I was here doing his first cover for Vanity Fair and I knew it was a big thing for both of us. And yet we didn’t really seem to care about that. We just cared about having a good time and trying to create something beautiful together.
“Years later, I am sitting in a theatre in New York City, waiting for the play to go on, and there is a man with an Australian accent sitting next to me. And I say: Are you from Australia? It’s very evident that you are. What’s your name? And he says: Ledger. And I say, I can’t believe it. Are you related to Heath? And he says: Yes, he’s my son. And he also told me: Bruce, I have all your pictures of my son in my living room. That was the best compliment that I could get!”
Weber has also pictured Czech celebrities, including supermodel Eva Herzigova and former tennis player Martina Navratilova. His work also encompasses a focus on nature and animals, notably a celebrated series on golden retrievers, to whom he dedicated an entire book. Indeed, when discussing his future plans, he was quick to mention his dogs:
“I am really tired right now and I really miss our dogs and they are really angry at me for being away, for being on the road again. So, I can’t wait to hang with them for a bit, take pictures and also edit all the pictures that I took in Prague. I also have to write a lot of thank you notes. But maybe I’ll use my pictures as my thank you notes.”
