Michel Comte

These works offer a curated insight into the photographic oeuvre of this multidisciplinary artist, who is considered one of the key shapers of the visual zeitgeist of the late 20th century.

Michel Comte’s works document an era of authentic vision, still untouched by the influence of digital image manipulation.

Using strong contrasts in lighting, the artist created world-famous photographs in the 1980s and 1990s—including the nude of Carla Bruni and a portrait of Louise Bourgeois—that captured the essence of his subjects in a raw and authentic way.

His portraits of Jeremy Irons, Geraldine Chaplin, Iggy Pop, Helena Christensen, and Mike Tyson, which are also included in the exhibition, are among the style-defining photographic works of those decades.

• The exhibition was curated in collaboration using vintage prints from the CAMERA WORK Gallery collection and editions from ÉDITIONS COMTE.

Michel Comte (born in Zurich in 1954) initially trained in the restoration of contemporary masterpieces. Following a pivotal commission from Karl Lagerfeld in 1980, Comte’s photography—under the guidance of the legendary Franca Sozzani of *Vogue Italia*—evolved into a definitive record of a burgeoning celebrity culture. This included music legends such as Miles Davis and Frank Zappa, film icons such as Catherine Deneuve and Nicole Kidman, artists such as Jeff Koons, and the most influential supermodels of that era.

At the same time, Michel Comte has consistently used his voice and influence to document the plight of humanity.

This commitment is evident in his extensive collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross in conflict zones around the world, his highly acclaimed HIV/AIDS awareness program “Save Safe Sex,” and his dedication to environmental protection through the Water Foundation and his installation art.