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This is part of the ItalianCar.net archive - go to ItalianCar.net now NEWS ARCHIVE
The 2006 Pirelli Calendar
OK it's not strictly about Italian cars, but there is a connection! The
2006 Pirelli Calendar - a cult object for more than 40 years -was unveiled
recently in Paris.
"The Cal" 2006 by the consolidated British-Turkish duo, Mert
Alas and Marcus Piggot, world renowned photographers that specialize in
women's portraits, was shot in a striking sixties-like setting on the
French Riviera and stars six modern beauties.
Jennifer Lopez, making her Pirelli Calendar debut, Giselle Bundchen (chosen
for the 2001 calendar by Mario Testino), Guinevere Van Seenus, Kate Moss
(who made her debut in the famous 1994 Herb Ritts edition), Karen Elson
(extremely young in the Herb Ritts 1999 calendar and also appearing in
the 2001 edition by Mario Testino), and Natalia Vodianova (who made her
debut in 2003 with Bruce Weber and also starred in Nick Knight's 2004
edition) are nude, sexy and gorgeous in 27 shots that make up the most
transgressive edition of "The Cal".
The photos are mainly black and white except for occasional splashes of
color on the cover and in the months of March and November) - "Everything
revolves around the models, and there is great freedom. We create images
that follow no rules," underlined Mert. "The photo shoot was
an experience where everything flowed and was very natural," added
Marcus.
The calendar was shot in and around the Cap d'Antibes and the French Riviera
and incorporate all that is traditional in a Pirelli calendar - the sea,
the cliffs plunging into the water, luxurious yachts and fabulous villas
with sumptuous gardens are the backdrops for this edition. As Pirelli
point out "Water is a dominant element that accentuates the shine
of the skin and creates extraordinary light effects on wet bodies, which
makes the photos particularly sensuous and enticing. Strong, sexy black
and white amplifies and completes the effects of the sea. The modern and
original photos have a sixties and seventies mood nonetheless, blending
tradition and innovation, which the two photographers use to impress their
very personal mark of distinction upon the calendar and simultaneously
pay homage to its historical significance and the legend that has accompanied
it over the years".
The launch of the 2006 calendar coincides with the birth of www.pirellical.com,
the new portal devoted to the famous calendar.
The Pirelli Calendar: A brief History
The first international edition of the now-famous Pirelli Calendar (known
to photography buffs simply as "The Cal") dates back to 1964
and was the work of Robert Freeman, the photographer of the Beatles, under
the direction of Derek Forsyth and commissioned by the British subsidiary
of the Pirelli Group, Pirelli UK Limited. Thus was born a refined, exclusive
product with artistic and cultural values that go well beyond the fields
of fashion and glamour.
Since then the Pirelli Cal has continued mark the passing months, offering
through its images by the most acclaimed photographers of the day a special
reading and interpretation of the changes that have characterized the
past 40 years, often anticipating new trends in customs, particular regarding
the role and image of women in modern society.
The Pirelli Calendar dates back to 1964 when the Marketing Department
of Pirelli Ltd in the UK decided to issue a Calendar for their top U.K.
customers as a gift for the closing year. In fact the Pirelli Calendar
project had been born one year earlier, in 1963 with Terence Donovan,
but had not met the approval of Pirelli's managers. However for 1964 the
pictures were so beautiful that the new calendar was released for distribution
and the success on the media was immediate.
Over a period of more than 30 years the Pirelli Calendars have shaken
the media world with their audacity, innovation and spectacular imagery.
The Calendar was very much a product of the cultural revolution which
inspired a new sensuality, a new appreciation of the female form and,
above all, an urgent need to break taboos. In the sixties a tidal wave
of creative energy swept through rock music, fashion, films and photography,
and the stuffiness and austerity of post-war London quickly surrendered
to a new vitality which turned the city into the style capital of the
world. At the same time a tyre manufacturer with a foreign name shot to
fame outside Italy with an annual PR extravaganza which became coveted
by students, cabinet ministers, royalties and superstars alike. An idea
of creative genius became a printed icon for each year, spawned many inferior
imitations and stretched the parameters of sensual fantasy and fabulous
photography.
The Pirelli Calendar has redefined the rules of glamorous photography;
by tradition calendars were hung on garage walls - now they hang in museums,
and Pirelli have gone on redefining those rules year after year.
The aim of the Calendar is to produce through the photographer's creativity
a theme and a set of pictures of high artistic level: its exclusivity
was planned and carefully maintained by Pirelli.
©
italiancar.com.au 08/01/06
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