Faces - Emerging, Evolving, Establishing
Phillip Wong Photography
Portraits
Faces – Emerging, Evolving, Establishing
Faces reflect the perceptions and experiences behind eyes. Without knowing it, we read character, heart, thought, memories and spirit, as well as emptiness, behind every expression.
I’ve photographed people for various reasons, some for myself, some for them, some because of a magazine and a project . . . often, people want to “look like . . . ” someone famous, but because they have their own journey, their own experiences and the thoughts they’ve learned, merge with experiences they’ve had, the camera captures each face differently.
I am intrigued by the urgency of today, but the timelessness of where we exist. We believe that we are different than anyone else, and we are . . . . but we are also very much the same as others who came before us. Each face shows both the unique, and the timelessness.
Mixer Magazine - Tortured Souls
Phillip Wong Photography
Editorial
Mixer Magazine – Tortured Souls – Five Doors – Personals
MixMag changed their name to Mixer Magazine while I was shooting fashion and profile images for their DJ-focused and music event oriented publication. I wanted to show the differences
Tortured Souls was one of a number of fashion editorials I did for them based on whimsical stories we thought would be different in approach to mainstream fashion.
It was released in early Spring, but had to be produced immediately after New Year, and I shot it on New York streets on a cold, windy, wet night. I usually didn’t abuse models like this but was grateful for their participation and support.
The clothes were all showy, nightlife, pulled together because the publication had so little production time or resources, but I wanted to create the feeling of illusion and excitement of the night world.
But Mixer had a whimsical, ironic approach to fashion and Five Doors and Personals mocked parts of society that it’s readers had knowledge and relationship of.
A Magazine
Phillip Wong Photography
Editorial
A Magazine
“A” Magazine was a publication aimed at a younger Asian audience. I was asked to do this shoot with a group of Asian models and actors who were cast by the editors of the publication.
It was interesting for me, because while I have an extensive knowledge and understanding of race, color, diversity identities, it has always been from an “outsider’s” perspective. This project gave me another view.
Pellice Moda - Rail Yard
Phillip Wong Photography
Editorial
Pellice Moda – Rail Yard
In working with luxury goods, and in luxury environments, I’ve always been aware of contrasts between the most valuable of items, the people who wear them, the people who create them, and what creates the idea of “luxury.”
Contrasting the luxury of furs and the Old World that embraced that idea of luxury, with the age and romanticism of that world – I convinced my editors at Pellice Moda, that the editorial story would have beauty, interest and appeal. They introduced me to Nadya Khamnipour, a stylist who’s work I loved – lush, whimsical, contrary, resisting cliche, her combinations of accessories with textured clothing created a balance with my need to focus on the evocation of emotion, or a stark, textural landscape.
Italian Vogue - Intense Silhouette
Phillip Wong Photography
Editorial
Italian Vogue – Intense Silhouette
I used to describe the difference between working for European publications with America publications like this: In Europe, as a photographer, an artist, a creative, someone outside, with a wide mix of influences and resources, I could propose something, and while editors might not understand completely, they trusted in that background and allowed me to produce the piece.
In America, I described publications as having a “Donald Trump mentality.” The people in offices, cloistered and separated from the trends and developments and people on the ground, dictated that “this was the way it was.” This was the way it was going to be. And because I was simply hired with a camera – I would do what I was told. (I was defining this “corporate” way of looking at the world, in the 1990s).
Italian Vogue editors didn’t always understand what I was trying to describe (a cross between imperfect Italian and overly complex English), but they often let me go ahead. They had products or trends or parameters which they wanted to cover (they had writers already working on an article), but they were looking for “creative,” “different,” “interesting,” visual images. (Not surprisingly, those were some of the first words I learned in Italian.)
I had been looking at textile shops and in New York, found some stretchy tubular material (I later found was used for undershirts), and bought a few rolls of it. In Milano, I tried wrapping it, and liked the form-fitting quality of the material – but didn’t see what I could do with it.
Alberto Nodolini, and Luca Stoppini, handed me off to Vogue Pelle to shoot some handbags for a story. I saw the stark composition and silhouette of the bags, and wanted to contrast it with the forms, shapes and curves of the human form.
The difficulty of accessories has always been the proportional difference between any accessory and the human body. When other items are added to the mix – they can create distractions.
They let me run with this:
German Playboy - Jeff Koons - Martina Moculescu
Phillip Wong Photography
Editorial
German Playboy – Jeff Koons – Martina Moculescu
The first time I returned from Europe, I was contacted in New York by German Playboy to shoot a scene with the Playmate of the Year and work with Jeff Koons.
I had been in Europe when Koons was becoming notorious for his work with his wife, Ilona Stadler.
He had a studio in a building on Broadway and Houston, and I agreed to work with him and a crew of people German Playboy had assembled. Koons had pitched an idea to the editors who wanted his name involved based on postcards of two paintings: Jean Honore Fragonard’s Girl Playing With A Dog, and Francois Boucher’s Resting Girl. He loved the lushness of the 1700s ambiance, and I was looking at focusing on Martina Moculescu, whom I had just met, but as a Playmate of the Year, I thought the qualities that made her special, should be brought out.
I loosely followed Koon’s desire for lushness, and the framework of the artwork on these postcards, and produced the three images here. (She was also shot by two other photographers in other countries.)
A number of years later, Jeff Koons came out with his “Gazing Ball” collection which used the Boucher painting, and then a collection which featured “Pot Rack” in which my photograph of Martina, based on Fragonard’s painting, was the foundation behind the Koons painting.
I thought the dog was lost behind a flurry of pans.
Gear Magazine
Phillip Wong Photography
Editorial
Gear Magazine
Gear Magazine was a publication that emerged when Maxim and FHM made their way over from Britain and their explosive success revealed latent markets in America.
Gear was different, but couldn’t brand itself differently. Gear was started by Bob Guccione, Jr. who had launched Spin Magazine earlier, and who’s father had brought Penthouse to America from Britain.
Edgy, offbeat, but serious about a new crop of artists, actors, musicians, emerging and defining a new culture, Gear recognized my informal, direct and honest approach matched their perspective with my photographs of Angelina Jolie and Charlize Theron, and brought me onboard. They asked me to pitch personalities and story proposals.
As I saw how they developed layouts, graphics and content, I quickly saw the potential in his vision.
But they couldn’t keep up the financing, marketing, or production necessary to continue competing with Maxim, FHM, GQ or Esquire at the same time, technology was changing digital publishing.
