Helmut Newton.

Another photographer I discovered is Helmut Newton (1920 – 2004). Many of Newton’s work falls into a sexual/erotic category. The majority of his memorable work dates from 1936 onwards. Like Bailey, Newton also caused scandal through his work. Many images are action shots or stills from a moving situation. His grainy images raise questions concerning respectability, female beauty, and notions of good taste. The female characters sometimes take on what many believe to be masculine traits, this challenges society’s notions of what a woman should dress and behave like. 

The first and fourth images show women displaying their physical strength and promotes violence. This must have been shocking for the public to see because during that time men and women still very much stuck to their stereotypical roles, with men being physically strong and courageous and women being vulnerable and passive.

In the last image, the model has a cigarette and smoking again was very much a man’s activity.

In the top image, we see a female model dressed up in masculine clothes. This implies that she has taken on what would be considered typically masculine qualities, such as dominance. She appears confident and in control.

Newton is making a clear point that anything that men can do, women can also do. However, in contrast to this is the top middle image. This photo shows women being used for a man’s sexual pleasure. Perhaps, Newton believed that women could be independent and strong like men but still look attractive and feminine. This is reinforced in most of his images because even when women are displaying power and physical strength, they still look sexual and attractive.

The fact that the models in the photos lack eye contact with the camera suggest that Newton is not interested in the particular individual but is trying to make a statement about women in general.

Newton’s photos are eye-catching because they are sexual, the women in them are attractive and this makes the audience want to look at them. His work definitely encourages Laura Mulvey’s male gaze theory.

At the time Newton was working, women had gained equal rights to vote and the battle for gender equality was well under way. These changes in society are reflected in his work, you can see that women are powerful, confident, strong and making their own decisions.

From analysing Newton’s work, I can see the importance of props and styling in photos. The clothes the models wear and the objects around them (for example, a sword) help to show their character. I am keen to take photos that could be classed as sexual/erotic as this is something I have not yet tried. I also like the fact that women’s bodies are celebrated in their natural form and that they can be both strong and sexy. 

My attempt