Autobiography

by Helmut Newton

Book Overview

Famous for his decadent photography, Newton shares his life and times in a tell-all that reveals as much about his narcissism as his artistry. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385508077
• ISBN13: 9780385508070
• Release Date: September 2003
• Publisher: Nan A. Talese
• Length: 289 Pages
• Weight: 1.38 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.6" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Newton Is Every Bit As Interesting As His Erotic Photographs

Like most people I suppose, I knew Helmut Newton only through his Fashion-Bordering-on-Pornographic brand of High Fashion and nude Photographs. His autobiography tells how he was born into a wealthy German Jewish family that eventually lost everything they owned to the Nazi's. He grew up observing the rise of Hitler and his brownshirted thugs.He saw some of his school friends turn into blood thirsty fiends. He grew to fear them more than those he did not know personallly. It's interesting to hear him describe just what being a Jew in Berlin was like during the period and why he and his family didn't flee the obvious threat until it was almost too late. Newton obviously gets a kick out of describing his early and numerous sexual conquests as well as his survival working as a nomadic gigolo in Singapore in order to remain there during his escape from Hilter's hunter-killers. He describes his early experiences with photography which were surprisingly dull and rather uninteresting. He describes in loving detail his fascinations with Berlin brothels as well as those along his around-the-world escape route from the Nazi's. He was both lucky, not only in escaping the Germans, but with women and his choice of a a lifelong mate June. I particularly liked his use of very realistic department store dummies, carefully made up by his usual fashion model make up people, for one famous series of nudes.I was also fascinated that he was able to work out an agreement with his various employers to allow him to use the regular models and assistants from his normal fashion shoots for his own photographsl while they were still on the publication's payroll. The book is full of interesting material including what has become of his life's work and how it is being preserved. The book is a good read. It's fun to learn more about the "King of Kink" and "The Prince of Porn," even though those titles really never fit his rather slick and sophitcated style of B & W photography. Admirers and collectors of his erotic photographs should particularly enjoy this tome. I did!

as interesting for what's not there as for what is

This isn't a book about how to photograph, how to photograph like Helmut Newton, nor even about how Helmut Newton approaches photography. It's about what Helmut Newton experienced as a youth and young man. He openly admits to being narcissitic; it shows clearly in the text. Nearly every sentence is about him - what happened to him, his reaction to his surroundings. Very little introspection or sympathy towards others. Yet I felt an honesty in his writing - a frankness that was refreshing. No apologies, no excuses. The language is surprisingly coarse for one who created such sophisticated images. Unsurprisingly, a substantial portion of the narrative deals with his sexual interactions with others, again, in a frank and unapologetic manner. Not, I think, an attempt to sensationalize his story - merely, an important component of his life. There is no attempt to explain his art, nor to rationalize his muse in terms of his childhood. Anyone looking for such will be disappointed. However, I found it a fascinating, albeit too brief, glimpse into his origins. I don't know if it's made me "understand" Helmut Newton's work any better, but I did enjoy the read.

As if you were talking to man

Newton never has been a very technical minded photog as many of the greats are (Avedon loathes talking tech apparently) So if you are looking for insight on how to get the same effect on film or how he convinces so many beautiful women to disrobe, don't bother reading. But if you want to learn how one's formative years are channelled into one's art and how artists use their obsessions to great effect, then you will find this very interesting. It did at times read like you were talking to the old guy, for better or for worse, recounting his sexual exploits. Oh well he's allowed, I mean he lived a full live on his terms. For that alone he must be admired. I really want to give it 3.5

A Thoroughly Enjoyable Book

There are probably very few human beings who live life, as Tennyson would say, to the lees and on their own terms. If we are to believe him in this very readable autobiography, Helmut Newton is one of them. He has always listened to his own drummer and has walked away from assignments that lesser individuals would have been afraid to leave. A lover of both beautiful women and fast cars, he names names although he does say that some of the names have been changed to protect people's privacy. I'm a great admirer of Mr. Newton so I read this chatty memoir with relish. Born in Berlin of Jewish parents, he has lived in and travelled to many places in his career as a fashion photographer. Although obviously a perfectionist when it comes to his art, Mr. Newton doesn't appear to take himself too seriously, a great attribute for one so talented as he.Mr. Newton's life has not always been fun and games, however. He understands the horrors of Nazi Germany from first-hand experience and spent time during World War II in an internment camp for Nazis in Australia because he was a German. Never mind that he was a despised Jew and hated Hitler as much as the Allies did.The last third of the book is entitled "Part II: The Photographs." Here Newton shows and discusses many of his now easily recognizable images. There is no particular order to this section. There is one photograph that he calls "pornographic", in case you are interested. And we learn that he hates the PR people who surround famous actresses. I doubt that anyone would be suprised to learn that tidbit.If you are looking for a good collection of Newton's work, you should buy any of the books that are collections of his fine photographs printed on high quality paper. (I own his book of portraits, one of my favorite photography books.) The paper here is so-so, and the photographs are not identified on the pages where they are reproduced. While this is customary in fine art books, at least the many photographs from Newton's own life that accompany the text should be captioned. I understand that this is probably the fault of the publisher and not Newton's, however.If you are a fan of this great photographer, as I am, you will enjoy this book thoroughly.