Terrence Richardson (born August 14, 1965) is an American former
fashion
Fashion is a term used interchangeably to describe the creation of clothing, footwear, Fashion accessory, accessories, cosmetics, and jewellery of different cultural aesthetics and their mix and match into Clothing, outfits that depict distinct ...
and
portrait photographer
Portrait photography, or portraiture, is a type of photography aimed toward capturing the personality of a person or group of people by using effective lighting, backdrops, and poses. A portrait photograph may be artistic or clinical. Frequentl ...
. He has shot advertising campaigns for
Marc Jacobs
Marc Jacobs (born April 9, 1963) is an American fashion designer. He is the head designer for his own fashion label, Marc Jacobs, and formerly Marc by Marc Jacobs, a diffusion line, which was produced for approximately 15 years, before it was d ...
,
Aldo,
Supreme, Sisley,
Tom Ford
Thomas Carlyle Ford (born August 27, 1961) is an American fashion designer and filmmaker. He launched Tom Ford (brand), his eponymous brand in 2005, having previously been the creative director at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent (brand), Yves Sai ...
, and
Yves Saint Laurent among others, and also done work for magazines such as ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'', ''
GQ'', ''
Vogue
Vogue may refer to:
Business
* ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine
** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine
** '' Vogue Adria'', a fashion magazine for former Yugoslav countries
** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine
** ' ...
'', ''
Vanity Fair'', ''
Harper's Bazaar
''Harper's Bazaar'' (stylized as ''Harper's BAZAAR'') is an American monthly women's fashion magazine. Bazaar has been published in New York City since November 2, 1867, originally as a weekly publication entitled ''Harper's Bazar''."Corporat ...
'', ''
i-D'', and ''
Vice
A vice is a practice, behaviour, Habit (psychology), habit or item generally considered morally wrong in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character trait, a defect, an infirmity, or a bad or unhe ...
''.
Since 2001, Richardson has been accused by multiple models of sexual misconduct. In 2017, brands and magazines that had worked with Richardson in the past began distancing themselves from him, and said they would no longer employ him. He has not actively worked as a photographer since 2018.
Early life
Richardson was born in New York City, the son of Norma Kessler, an actress,
[LaBruce, Bruce (1998)]
"Terry Richardson"
''Index Magazine
''index Magazine'' was a New York City-based publication with interviews with art and culture figures. It was created by Peter Halley and Bob Nickas in 1996, running until late 2005.
Covering the burgeoning indie culture of the 1990s, ''Index'' ...
''. Retrieved February 15, 2014. and
Bob Richardson, a
fashion photographer who struggled with
schizophrenia
Schizophrenia () is a mental disorder characterized variously by hallucinations (typically, Auditory hallucination#Schizophrenia, hearing voices), delusions, thought disorder, disorganized thinking and behavior, and Reduced affect display, f ...
and drug abuse. Richardson's father was
Irish Catholic
Irish Catholics () are an ethnoreligious group native to Ireland, defined by their adherence to Catholic Christianity and their shared Irish ethnic, linguistic, and cultural heritage.The term distinguishes Catholics of Irish descent, particul ...
and his mother is Jewish. Following the divorce of his parents, Richardson moved to
Woodstock, New York
Woodstock is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Ulster County, New York, United States, in the northern part of the county, northwest of Kingston, New York, Kingston. It lies within the borders of the Catskill Park. The popula ...
, with his mother and stepfather, English guitarist
Jackie Lomax
John Richard Lomax (10 May 1944 – 15 September 2013) was an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. He is best known for his association with George Harrison, who produced Lomax's recordings for the Beatles' Apple record label in the late 1 ...
.
[ Richardson later moved to the ]Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood ...
neighborhood of Los Angeles, where he attended Hollywood High School
Hollywood High School is a four-year public secondary school in the Los Angeles Unified School District, located at the intersection of North Highland Avenue and West Sunset Boulevard in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California.
His ...
.
He moved with his mother to Ojai, California, where he attended Nordhoff High School, when he was 16. Richardson originally wanted to be a punk rock
Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...
musician rather than a photographer.[ He played bass guitar in the punk rock band The Invisible Government for four years. He played bass for a variety of other punk bands in ]Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...
including Signal Street Alcoholics, Doggy Style, Baby Fist and Middle Finger.
Career
Richardson's mother reportedly gave him his first snapshot
Snapshot, snapshots or snap shot may refer to:
* Snapshot (photography), a photograph taken without preparation
Computing
* Snapshot (computer storage), the state of a system at a particular point in time
* Snapshot (file format) or SNP, a file ...
camera in 1982,[ which he used to document his life and the ]punk rock
Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...
scene in Ojai.[ In 1992, Richardson quit music and moved to the East Village neighborhood of New York City, where he began photographing young people partying and other nightlife.][ It was in New York City that he had his first "big break."][
His first published fashion photos appeared in '']Vibe
Vibe, alternatively '' vibes,'' is short for ''vibration''. A "vibe" is an emotional reaction to the aura or energy felt to belong to a person, place or thing.
Vibe may also refer to:
People
* DJ Vibe (born 1968), Portuguese DJ
* Lasse Vibe (b ...
'' in 1994.[ His ''Vibe'' spread was shown at Paris' International Festival de la Mode later that year.][ Following the showing, Richardson shot an advertising campaign for fashion designer ]Katharine Hamnett
Katharine Eleanor Hamnett (née Appleton; born 16 August 1947) is an English fashion designer best known for her political T-shirts.
Early life
Hamnett was born on 16 August 1947 in Gravesend, Kent, the daughter of James Appleton, a group ca ...
's spring 1995 collection.[ The campaign was noted for images of young women wearing short skirts with their pubic hair showing.][
]
Richardson then moved to London[ and worked for the magazines '' The Face'', '' i-D'' and '']Arena
An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, Music, musical performances or Sport, sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for specta ...
.''[
Throughout his career, Richardson has shot the campaigns of fashion brands and designers such as: ]Marc Jacobs
Marc Jacobs (born April 9, 1963) is an American fashion designer. He is the head designer for his own fashion label, Marc Jacobs, and formerly Marc by Marc Jacobs, a diffusion line, which was produced for approximately 15 years, before it was d ...
, Aldo, Supreme, Sisley, Tom Ford
Thomas Carlyle Ford (born August 27, 1961) is an American fashion designer and filmmaker. He launched Tom Ford (brand), his eponymous brand in 2005, having previously been the creative director at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent (brand), Yves Sai ...
, and Yves Saint Laurent. He has also worked for magazines such as ''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'', '' GQ'', ''Vogue
Vogue may refer to:
Business
* ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine
** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine
** '' Vogue Adria'', a fashion magazine for former Yugoslav countries
** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine
** ' ...
'', '' Vanity Fair'', and ''Harper's Bazaar
''Harper's Bazaar'' (stylized as ''Harper's BAZAAR'') is an American monthly women's fashion magazine. Bazaar has been published in New York City since November 2, 1867, originally as a weekly publication entitled ''Harper's Bazar''."Corporat ...
.''
Richardson has produced several campaigns for Diesel, including the 'Global Warming Ready' which won a Silver Lion for Print at Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity (formerly the International Advertising Festival) is a global event for those working in creative communications, advertising, and related fields. It is considered the largest gathering of the ...
in 2007. He has produced several private portraits for the company's founder, Renzo Rosso. In September 2011, they hosted a mutual book launch together with fashion editor Carine Roitfeld, at Colette
Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (; 28 January 1873 – 3 August 1954), known as Colette or Colette Willy, was a French author and woman of letters. She was also a Mime artist, mime, actress, and journalist. Colette is best known in the English-speaki ...
in Paris.
In 2012 Richardson embarked on his first solo exhibition at Los Angeles's OHWOW Gallery, titled ''Terrywood.''["Terry Richardson – Terrywood"]
. (December 14, 2011). OHWOW Press Release. Retrieved March 3, 2012. In May 2012, a video of model Kate Upton
Katherine Elizabeth Upton (born June 10, 1992) is an American model and actress. She first appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, ''Sports Illustrated'' Swimsuit Issue in 2011, and was the List of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue c ...
performing the Cat Daddy dance for Richardson in his studio went viral. In December 2012, Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...
announced that Richardson was filming a documentary about her life. Gavin McInnes
Gavin Miles McInnes (; born 17 July 1970) is a Canadian writer, podcaster, far-right commentator and founder of the Proud Boys. He is the host of '' Get Off My Lawn with Gavin McInnes'' on his website, Compound Censored. He co-founded ''Vic ...
of ''Vice
A vice is a practice, behaviour, Habit (psychology), habit or item generally considered morally wrong in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character trait, a defect, an infirmity, or a bad or unhe ...
'' defended Richardson in 2004, saying his work was criticized by "first-year feminist types."
Gallery shows
Richardson held his first gallery showing in 1998. The show, entitled ''These Colors Don't Run'' and held at Alleged Gallery, coincided with the release of his first book entitled ''Hysteric Glamour.''[ His work was later included in another show entitled ''Smile'' at Alleged Gallery. Richardson had his first Paris show at Galarie Emmanuel Perrotin in 1999. Richardson's "Feared by Men Desired by Women" was shown at an exhibition at London's Shine Gallery the following year.
''Terryworld,'' an exhibition of Richardson's work of the name, was shown in 2004 at Deitch Gallery in New York City.][ The Orange County Museum of Art showed Richardson's work as part of a group show entitled ''Beautiful Losers'' in 2005. ''Mom + Dad,'' a show exhibiting work from Richardson's book of the same name, was held at Half Gallery in New York City in 2011. The same year, photographs from Richardson's book ''Hong Kong'' were shown at Art Hong Kong. Richardson's work was later shown at Los Angeles's OHWOW Gallery.] The exhibition was titled ''Terrywood'' and ran from February 24 to March 31, 2012.
Music videos
Richardson began directing music videos in the late 1990s.[ He directed videos for Death in Vegas and ]Primal Scream
Primal Scream are a Scottish rock music, rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie (vocals) and Jim Beattie (musician), Jim Beattie (guitar). The band's current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes (guitar), Simon ...
as well as alternate music video of the song "Find a New Way" by Young Love, and Whirlwind Heat's "Purple" featuring models Susan Eldridge and Charlotte Kemp Muhl. He directed the music video for " Red Lips" by Sky Ferreira
Sky Tonia Ferreira (; born July 8, 1992) is an American singer-songwriter, model, and actress. As a teenager, Ferreira began uploading videos on Myspace of herself singing songs she had written, which led to her discovery by producers Bloodsh ...
. He also makes a cameo appearance in Thirty Seconds to Mars
Thirty Seconds to Mars (commonly stylized as 30 Seconds to Mars) is an American Rock music, rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1998. The band consists of brothers Jared Leto (lead vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards) and Shannon Let ...
's video for "Hurricane
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its ...
".
The music video for "Oldie" by Odd Future
Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, better known as Odd Future and often abbreviated as OF or OFWGKTA, was an American alternative hip-hop Musical collective, music collective formed in Los Angeles, California in 2007. The group consisted of rap ...
was recorded during a photoshoot with Richardson and was published on March 20, 2012. Richardson can be seen in the video snapping photos of the collective while they party and play in front of a large white backdrop. On August 29, 2013, he directed Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...
in a music video at Coney Island
Coney Island is a neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach to its east, Lower New York Bay to the south and west, and Gravesend to ...
for her single " XO". He also directed "Wrecking Ball
A wrecking ball is a heavy steel ball, usually hung from a Crane (machine), crane, that is used for Demolition, demolishing large buildings. It was most commonly in use during the 1940s and 1950s. Several wrecking companies claim to have inve ...
" by Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus ( , born Destiny Hope Cyrus, November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and director. Regarded as a contemporary pop icon, Cyrus has been recognized for her evolving artistry and image reinventions. She is ...
. In late 2013 Richardson did the treatment on the music video for " Do What U Want" by Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...
and R. Kelly from her third studio album titled '' Artpop'', but the film was never released. On August 21, 2017, Richardson directed the Anitta music video, " Vai Malandra", at Vidigal, Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
.
Style
There are several repeating themes in Richardson's work, notably that of putting high-profile celebrities in mundane situations and photographing them using traditionally pedestrian methods, such as the use of an instant camera
An instant camera is a camera which uses instant film, self-developing film to create a chemically Photographic processing, developed print shortly after taking the picture. Polaroid Corporation pioneered (and Patent, patented) consumer-friend ...
. His work also explores ideas of sexuality, with many of the pieces featured in his books ''Kibosh'' and ''Terryworld'' depicting full-frontal nudity and both simulated and actual sexual acts.[Holson, Laura M. (March 2, 2012)]
"The Naughty Knave of Fashion's Court"
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
''. Retrieved March 4, 2012. Initially, many of Richardson's subjects were shot before a white background but he eventually expanded to other backdrops.
He is known for posing with his subjects, often giving them his trademark glasses so they may "pretend to be him" or, in the case of actress Chloë Sevigny
Chloë Stevens Sevigny ( ; born November 18, 1974) is an American actress. Known for her work in independent films with controversial or experimental themes, her accolades include a Golden Globe Award, in addition to a nomination for an Acade ...
, posing them in makeup and costume so that they look like him. Richardson counts Larry Clark
Lawrence Donald Clark (born January 19, 1943) is an American film director, photographer, writer and film producer who is best known for his controversial teen film '' Kids'' (1995) and his photography book ''Tulsa'' (1971). His work focuses pri ...
, Nan Goldin
Nancy Goldin (born 1953) is an American photographer and activist. Her work explores in snapshot-style the emotions of the individual, in intimate relationships, and the Bohemian style, bohemian LGBT subcultural communities, especially dealing w ...
, Diane Arbus
Diane Arbus (; ; March 14, 1923 – July 26, 1971
by and Robert Frank
Robert Frank (November 9, 1924 – September 9, 2019) was a Swiss American photographer and documentary filmmaker. His most notable work, the 1958 book titled ''The Americans'', earned Frank comparisons to a modern-day de Tocqueville for his ...
as early influences on his artistic style. His work has been praised by Helmut Newton
Helmut Newton (né Neustädter; 31 October 192023 January 2004) was a German-Australian photographer. The ''The New York Times, New York Times'' described him as a "prolific, widely imitated fashion photographer whose provocative, erotically ch ...
.
Richardson described his style as, "Trying to capture those unpremeditated moments when people's sexualities come up to the surface."
Richardson is also known for his nonsexual portraiture
A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face is always predominant. In arts, a portrait may be represented as half body and even full body. If the subject in full body better re ...
. He has taken portraits of a wide variety of celebrities and politicians.[
]
Personal life
Relationships and family
Richardson was married to model Nikki Uberti from 1996 to 1999.[ Richardson dated political staffer and businesswoman Audrey Gelman from 2011 until 2013.
He started dating his long-time photography assistant, Alexandra "Skinny" Bolotow in 2014. On March 19, 2016, Bolotow gave birth to twin boys.] He has said it was "the most intense, inspiring, , and humbling experience of my life." The couple married in 2017 in Taos, New Mexico
Taos () is a town in Taos County, New Mexico, Taos County, in the north-central region of New Mexico in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Initially founded in 1615, it was intermittently occupied until its formal establishment in 1795 by Santa Fe ...
.
He currently resides in Bearsville, New York.
Philanthropy
In 2010, Richardson became involved with RxArt, a charity that donates art to children's hospitals.
Sexual misconduct allegations
Since 2001, Richardson has been accused multiple times of using his influence in the fashion industry to sexually exploit models during photo shoots, including coercing them to engage in sexual acts with him.[
Models with whom he has worked (including ]Rie Rasmussen
Rie Rasmussen ( /riː/ ''REE''; born 14 February 1978) is a Danish actress, director, writer, photographer and former model. She is best known for her acting roles in the films ''Femme Fatale'' (2002) and '' Angel-A'' (2005).
Early life and ed ...
and Jamie Peck
Jamie Peck Royal Society of Canada, FRSC FAcSS (born July 9, 1962 in Kimberley, Nottinghamshire, UK) is Canada Research Chair in Urban & Regional Political Economy and Professor of Geography at the University of British Columbia, Canada. He is ...
) have accused Richardson of sexual misconduct, including exploitation.
In a 2010 interview at French Institute Alliance Française, Marc Jacobs
Marc Jacobs (born April 9, 1963) is an American fashion designer. He is the head designer for his own fashion label, Marc Jacobs, and formerly Marc by Marc Jacobs, a diffusion line, which was produced for approximately 15 years, before it was d ...
said that Richardson is "not ill-spirited". Richardson published a letter in 2014 in ''The Huffington Post
''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers p ...
'' defending himself against the accusations. Richardson said that the allegations are false and that he considers himself "considerate and respectful" of his photography subjects.[Piazza, Jo (March 25, 2010)]
"Sexual Misconduct by Fashion Photographers Is Par for the Industry, Models Say"
Fox News
The Fox News Channel (FNC), commonly known as Fox News, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conservatism in the United States, conservative List of news television channels, news and political commentary Television stati ...
. Retrieved August 9, 2011. Models including Noot Seear, Daisy Lowe, and Charlotte Free have defended him.[Thorp, Charles (March 19, 2010)]
"Model Noot Seear Defends Terry Richardson"
''New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
''. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
In 2017, due to the allegations of Richardson's sexual misconduct, many fashion brands and fashion magazines decided to no longer commission his work, including Valentino, Bulgari
Bulgari (, ; stylized as BVLGARI) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1884 and known for its jewellery, watches, fragrances, accessories, and leather goods. Headquartered in Rome, the company was acquired by the French conglomera ...
, and the Condé Nast
Condé Nast () is a global mass media company founded in 1909 by Condé Nast (businessman), Condé Montrose Nast (1873–1942) and owned by Advance Publications. Its headquarters are located at One World Trade Center in the FiDi, Financial Dis ...
magazines: ''Vogue,'' '' Glamour,'' ''Wired
Wired may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* ''Wired'' (Jeff Beck album), 1976
* ''Wired'' (Hugh Cornwell album), 1993
* ''Wired'' (Mallory Knox album), 2017
* "Wired", a song by Prism from their album '' Beat Street''
* "Wired ...
,'' ''Vanity Fair'', and ''GQ.'' Following the professional repercussions, he has not actively worked since 2018.
Publications
* (1998) ''Hysteric Glamour''. Hysteric Glamour (Tokyo). .
* (1999) ''Son of Bob''. Little More (Tokyo). .
* (2000) ''Terry Richardson – Feared by Men, Desired by Women''. Shine Gallery (London). .
* (2002) ''Too Much''. Sisley (Italy).
* (2004) ''Terry – The Terry Richardson Purple Book''. Purple Institute (Paris). .
* (2004) ''Terry Richardson''. Stern Gruner + Jahr (Hamburg). .
* (2004) ''Terryworld''. By Dian Hanson. Taschen
Taschen is a luxury art book publisher founded in 1980 by Benedikt Taschen in Cologne, Germany. As of January 2017, Taschen is co-managed by Benedikt Taschen and his eldest daughter, Marlene Taschen.
History
The company began as Tasch ...
(Hong Kong; Los Angeles). .
* (2006) ''Kibosh''. Damiani Editore (Bologna). .
* (2006) ''Manimal''. Hysteric Glamour (Tokyo).
* (2007) ''Rio, Cidade Maravilhosa''. Diesel/Vintage Denin (Brazil).
* (2011) ''Hong Kong''. Diesel (Hong Kong).
* (2011) ''Mom & Dad''. Mörel Books (London).
* (2011) '' Lady Gaga x Terry Richardson''. Grand Central Publishing
Grand Central Publishing is a book publishing imprint of Hachette Book Group, originally established in 1970 as Warner Books when Kinney National Company acquired the New York City-based Paperback Library. When Time Warner sold their book publis ...
(New York City). .
* (2016) ''Skinny''. Idea Books (London).
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Richardson, Terry
1965 births
Living people
20th-century American Jews
20th-century American photographers
21st-century American Jews
21st-century American photographers
American erotic photographers
American music video directors
American people of Irish descent
Photographers from Los Angeles
Photographers from New York City
American documentary photographers
American fashion photographers
Hollywood High School alumni
Jewish American artists
People from Hollywood, Los Angeles
People from Ojai, California
People from the East Village, Manhattan
People from Woodstock, New York