Art World
Bottega Veneta Turns to Modernist Architecture Gem for Todd Hido Photoshoot
Tomas Maier pairs classics of fashion and architecture for his new campaign.
Legendary 73-year-old supermodel and actress Lauren Hutton is one of several models featured in the photo shoot for fashion house Bottega Veneta, which took place in the Modulightor Building, the last publicly accessible structure in New York by the late architect Paul Rudolph.
Rudolph, whose work was characterized by complex floor plans and innovative materials, taught a number of architects, including Norman Foster, while chairman of the Yale School of Architecture from 1958 to 1965. Brutalist architecture was flourishing during this era, and new styles were to come, but Rudolph always went his own way.
“At a time when most new buildings hid their guts behind glass ‘curtain walls,’ he prodded people to notice how his buildings were assembled,” Fred A. Bernstein wrote about Rudolph’s late 20th century output in the New York Times.
As a tribute to this iconoclast, the fashion house teamed up with photographer Todd Hido, known for his light-filled images of American homes, for the latest entry in its “Art of Collaboration” series, which enlists contemporary artists to produce the Italian luxury brand’s seasonal campaigns. Most recently, Bottega Veneta featured Alberto Burri’s iconic Sicilian earthwork, Grande Cretto, for its fall/winter 2016 collection, shot by Dutch photographer Viviane Sassen.
Todd Hido, Lauren Hutton for Bottega Veneta. Courtesy of Bottega Veneta.
“I am a great admirer of Todd’s work,” said Bottega Veneta creative director Tomas Maier in an email to artnet News. “We have a similar approach and sensibility, I like his sense of delicacy and intuition.”
Designed between 1989 and 1994, the location, on East 58th Street, is especially fitting given Maier’s well-documented passion for modernist art and architecture.
Nicknamed the “House of Light,” the building was constructed with a unique layout of different-sized, interwoven horizontal and vertical spaces. In addition to built-in bookshelves and furniture, Rudolph made the most of a narrow floor plan by using matte white particle board, reflective materials, and Plexiglas to maximize natural light. It was his last New York townhouse, before the architect died in 1997.
Bottega Veneta’s summer 2017 collection also marks two important milestones for the company, as it celebrates both its 50th anniversary and Maier’s 15th year at the helm. Artists who have previously participated in “Art of Collaborations” include Ryan McGinley, Nan Goldin, Annie Leibovitz, Nobuyoshi Araki, and Jürgen Teller.
See Bottega Veneta’s 2017 summer collection promo film below.
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