One of Testino’s renowned photographic styles is his profound portraiture. His impressive list of iconic subjects to date has included ‘everyone who is anyone’; actresses, models, musicians and even royalty, some of which he has collaborated with on more than one occasion.
This, probably one of Testino’s most famous portraits, was taken in Los Angeles for Harpers Bazaar in 1996. It unsurprisingly presents a young Kate Moss, the same year she won Vogue’s ‘Model of the Year’ award, a grounds for her becoming hugely influential in the fashion world as well as a stylishly, iconic subject for Testino’s photography. Perhaps this is the main reason Moss appears to be the focal point of the image; positioned centrally leaning gracefully yet effortlessly on a four-wheel-drive truck and prominently lit, which causes her white top to almost gleam.
As you look attentively at her innocent looking face, the eyes can not help but go unnoticed; you automatically follow her sight trail and observe the aimed area, eventually realising the not-so-innocent Kate’s cheeky glimpse at the car’s wing mirror, which presumably presents her with a reflection of the background to the image; an undressing surfer’s bare behind! This feature of the photograph is the motive behind the legendary naming of the piece, quite simply, ‘Surfer Butt’.
Subtle detailing is what makes this photograph so intriguing; just one quick glance and you miss all the small, but certainly not by any means unimportant details, which together create a suggestive narrative to the picture. For example; a carefully positioned surf board or a pair of bikini bottoms that are so casually slung over the car’s door both indicate the sunny L.A setting. A closer look at the car’s mirror and you spot another reflection that is depicted, creating an almost ‘mini photograph’ within itself.
Semi-nude males and a hint of nipple showing through Moss’ sheer top, provokes a rather ‘raunchy’ theme and generates plenty of sex appeal. However, Testino has cleverly avoided this theme from appearing trashy or vulgar by slyly romanticising the over all image through the use of his artistic black and white shot...
