GUNNAR LARSEN

(Copenhagen, November 5, 1930 - Paris, July 30, 1990)

Over time, Larsen incorporated a captivating blend of futurism and dark fantasy, further setting him apart as a visionary in the field.

In the 1970s, Larsen started to manipulate more and more the result of his captures in the darkroom. He pushed the exposure to the extreme to achieve his desired effect. The noses had to disappear and be reduced to the shadow of their nostrils. The faces became paler and paler until they became deathly white, their contour faded and their gaze intense.

Larsen constantly imagined what the woman of the year 2000 would look like. He envisioned someone empowered and fierce, with heavy sci-fi makeup and hairstyles. He would search for ambiguous poses, suspended between domination and submission, often charged with sexual undertones, eliciting polarized reactions from the viewers.

In line with his contemporaries Helmut Newton and Guy Bourdin, Gunnar Larsen aimed to provoke his viewers. He liked staging the models rather than focusing on the outfits, but his work was less controlled and gave more space to the models’ contribution.

His approach of fashion photography was theatrical, which later gave birth to his fashion shows. Some of his photographs even looked as if taken out of movies: Twiggy playfully keeping at guns range three policemen on Carnaby Street, warrior women with machine guns walking out from Apocalypse now, or models with makeup transformation reminiscent of the android of Metropolis are just a few examples.

Gunnar Larsen’s fashion photography is intrinsically linked to his pioneering creation of niche fashion magazines.

Understanding Gunnar Larsen’s work requires an appreciation of his unique personality. He was a tireless and perfectionist worker, driven by artistic creativity rather than profit. Marginal and eccentric, he was unwavering in his refusal to compromise. Soon, this made it impossible for him to work under any editorial control. His tenacity and desire for autonomy drove him to create a unique fashion magazine where he could freely publish his most daring pictures.

In late 1973, he cofounded Mode International, where he was the editor-in-chief and provided 80% of the photographs. Foreign editions were published in Belgium, Germany, Italy, Denmark, the UK and the US. The magazine transitioned to a monthly publication in 1977, reaching a circulation of 50 000 copies before Gunnar Larsen was excluded due to a disagreement with a suddenly major American commercial partner.

Gunnar Larsen quickly rebounded by launching Mode Avantgarde in 1978, which he presented as “a magazine that wants to express its opinion, present fashion journalistically, an original take on photography”. When the magazine was being copied page by page in Eastern Europe and sold for a pittance, Larsen persevered and decided to create something that would be impossible to replicate.

In 1980 he launched Gunnar’s, which later became Gunnar International in 1983. The magazine was edited until his death in 1990. Gunnar International was hand-bound due to its large size (approx. 34 x 49 cm), weighted nearly 2 kg, and featured high-quality glossy paper. It was dubbed “the most expensive magazine in the world” at 100 francs. Its beautiful colour covers contrasted with the black-and-white photographs inside. It was truly unique at the time.

Constant in his desire to always be at the forefront, Gunnar Larsen also produced a never-seen-before fashion show, aiming to bring the pictures of his magazine into life on stage.

The “Mode Avantgarde Show featured models acting and dancing, wearing avant-garde creations from dozens of haute couture or ready-to-wear fashion houses. It offered a living painting of the fashion of tomorrow as envisioned by Gunnar Larsen, within his dark and fantastic universe.  

The show toured internationally and took on a different subtitle each year, such as “Bonjour 1980”, “Alpha 81”, “Angels devils of the Future”, “Angels never cry”, “Love, Hate and Fashion”, “Dressed to Kill”, and “Fire of Desire”.

Gunnar Larsen approach to both his lifestyle and working conditions as a photographer was characterized by a preference for modesty and simplicity, a stark contrast to the opulence of his magazines and shows.

Initially, his style was influenced by necessity, as his financial constraints prevented him from working in a proper studio or regularly hiring famous top models. But despite achieving success and being hailed as the most important Danish fashion photographer, he remained indifferent to living or working in more luxurious conditions.

While many photographers used multiple cameras and lenses, Gunnar Larsen remained loyal to his trusty KM Pentax, seldom straying from his 35 mm lens and its alternative 60 mm counterpart.

He continued to operate from a modest locale in the vibrant Les Halle, at 14 rue de la Cossonerie, where the basement sufficed as his darkroom. Even when funds became more available, he didn’t seek more space, believing that increased expenses would curtail his freedom, and hinder accessibility for those seeking to meet him.

Instead of conventional studios, he kept his preference for the bustling streets, cafes, and restaurant of Paris, where he dined daily. His favorites haunts included the renowned Café de Flore, the Coupole, or the American diner The Frontpage on Rue Saint Denis, whose walls were adorned with his photographs.

In contrast to his modest lifestyle, he spared no expense when it came to producing his lavish magazines and shows, or organizing photo shoots in exotic or unexpected places, such as the African desert, Mexico, Tahiti, or Iceland.

Known for his keen eyes for talents and his availability as a mentor, Gunnar Larsen helped launch several successful careers.

Non-anecdotally, he convinced John Casablancas to start his first model agency!

When he started as a fashion photographer, Gunnar Larsen didn’t have the financial means to hire as many top models as he needed. Initially out of necessity, he hired Scandinavian girls who aspired to become models and offered them three-month contracts. At the end of the contract period, he provided them with a portfolio and assisted in securing representation with model agencies.

While he also worked with more established models, he remained committed to give aspiring models a chance. He considered himself as a mentor and even authored a book in Danish about the intricacies of entering the modeling industry (Drommepiger, G.E.C. Gads Forlag, 1986).

Additionally, Gunnar Larsen played a pivotal role in the early success of John Casablancas, convincing him to start a model agency (Elysée 3, later Elite), and helping him recruit the first models from northern countries.

Gunnar Larsen passed away on July 30, 1990, in Paris, the city he loved so much. He was laid to rest in the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.