Photographer: Michael Joseph
Date photos: Années 80
Image W: 500 mm H: 700 mm
Size card in photos W: 700mm H: 1000mm
A Nivea creation. My father felt the lady appeared somewhat solitary, prompting him to encircle her with smaller extracts from contact sheets in other sepia toned compositions. This gave me the idea to do the same, but in blue.
Back in the 1980s, Nivea, known for its cream products, introduced a new packaging format for their popular product, switching from tubes to tubs. My father was selected to photograph the advertising campaign, which featured the tagline, “Nivea Now in Tubs.” The concept—a beautiful model relaxing in a bathtub—seemed fitting.
For a long time, I believed there was a poetic nod to Man Ray’s Le Violon d’Ingres in the imagery. However, the reality was far more practical: the model, flown in from Paris by Nivea, had knobbly knees, so the decision was made to shoot her from behind! Incidentally, this also saved on costs, as a rear-view shot cost £700, compared to £1,100 for a front view.
This particular blue-toned composition is a one-off. At its center is a reprint of one of my father’s smaller darkroom creations, a personal favorite of mine. Surrounding it is a selection of contact sheet images that I carefully curated to form an intriguing visual ensemble.
This piece is unique and handcrafted, allowing for flexibility in how it’s framed. I purposely did not provide a mount, so your framer can follow your instructions and crop as desired. The composition will be shipped in a roll via Colissimo, securely packed in a cardboard tube. Once it arrives, please be sure to unroll and lay it flat as soon as possible, placing weights on the edges to help the contact sheet images regain their flatness.
The print is signed by the photographer, and on the back, beneath the signature, there’s a small contact sheet image.
