Born March 26, 1946,
Bruce Weber is one of the leading image-makers of our time. He has almost defined how men “should” look with famous and infamous campaigns for Calvin Klein and Abercrombie & Fitch. The A&F campaigns are renowned around the world and were the “safe” introduction to countless young American men exploring their gay desires.
His ode to the beauty of youthful males “Bear Pond” is now a collector’s item with people like me kicking themselves for not buying it when it was first released. Copies are now trading for hundreds of dollars online around the world. His other books, such as Chop Suey Club aren’t far behind in their collectability or beauty.
Chop Suey is a book and a film starring a lesbian jazz singer and a teenage wrestler as themselves. Peter Johnson is that sixteen year old model who features heavily, and not wearing a lot, throughout the book and the movie. Weber discovered Peter at wrestling camp (surely a hot-bed of sexual tension, in my mind anyway) and as a result of the exposure in the book and movie, Peter has gone on to become one of the top male models around.
Bruce first came to the world’s attention in the pages of GQ magazine in the 70’s but most of us took notice in the 80’s and 90’s when he shot very distinctive images for Calvin Klein campaigns. He’s been lucky enough to shoot Markus Schenkenberg naked in a shower, Olympians, both the Brewer twins and the Carlson twins, and is credited for launching the modelling career of Isabella Rossellini.
Mr Weber’s images aren’t always static either. He captured many a beautiful young thing wet and happy at Wet’n’Wild in Florida for the Pet Shop Boys video for “Se a vida é” and the hauntingly beautiful “Blue Spanish Sky” for Chris Isaak.
As far as I’m aware Bruce’s sexuality has never been any secret, but I’m guessing it’s helped him when capturing many a male model’s best angle!
