Ellen von Unwerth - Heimat

TASCHEN Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of Heimat, an exhibition of new photographs by Ellen von Unwerth.

A possibly untranslatable German word, Heimat expresses a deep feeling of belonging and connection to one’s homeland. Revisiting her home state of Bavaria in southern Germany, von Unwerth has undertaken a year-long photo shoot featuring a squad of local girls getting back to nature in every sense. Amid the region’s undulating fields, age-old traditions, and deep, mysterious forests, the girls happily discard their dirndls and run riot across the Alpine countryside. Von Unwerth’s heroines demonstrate the attributes and attractions of the Bavarian region, whether indulging in local delicacies, striding out across pristine pastures, or seducing lederhosen-clad farmhands and each other.

Blending old-world charm with a rebellious edge and a sly subversion of traditional gender roles, the photographs burst with fresh, provocative eroticism, tied up with wit, and laced with an abiding love for a proud and beautiful land. The exhibition is accompanied by a 454-page signed and limited TASCHEN Collector’s Edition book of the same name.

The exhibition will also showcase a selection of Ellen von Unwerth photographic prints from throughout her career in collaboration with the Fahey/Klein Gallery.

The artist:

Ellen von Unwerth worked as a top fashion model before becoming one of the world's most in-demand fashion photographers and directors. Best known for her representations of erotic femininity, her editorial work has been featured in publications such as VOGUE, Interview, and Vanity Fair and in major advertising campaigns for Chanel, Dior, John Galliano, Ralph Lauren, Victoria’s Secret, Agent Provocateur, and Diesel. Her erotically charged images of supermodels and female musical artists play on the genres of revenge photos and glamour shots, producing work that is decadent yet kitsch, romantic but sexy, and always filled with joie de vivre.

TASCHEN books on Ellen von Unwerth include the forthcoming publication Heimat, Fräulein and The Story of Olga.

Ellen von Unwerth Heimat opens to the public on February 25th, 2017. To view all works in the show, please visit www.taschen.com/gallery