In the world of photography, it is challenging to find anyone more influential than Nick Knight. At 64 years old, Knight is a British "image-maker" and the founder and director of SHOWstudio. Throughout his career, he has garnered numerous awards, including the prestigious Isabella Blow Award. Although Knight is primarily recognized for his exceptional photography, he has also made significant contributions to various exhibitions and an extensive collection of short films.
Knight was born in Hammersmith, West London, and later pursued his studies in photography at the Bournemouth and Poole College of Art and Design. At the age of 24, he published his debut book, titled "Skinhead." The book encompasses written and visual portrayals that reflect the style, music, and conduct of members of the skinhead movement at the time.
In the year 2000, Knight started SHOWstudio, a renowned fashion website praised as the "home of fashion film," recognized for its advancements in AI and 3D technologies, including the world's first-ever AI fashion editor, Ebury Grace. Much of Knight's work explores surrealism and controversial issues including homophobia, racism, and disability, topics he still challenges the conventional ideals of to this day.
He is most well-known for directing music videos such as Ye's "Bound 2" and Lady Gaga's "Born This Way", the latter of which he has worked with for almost 15 years.
One of his closest collaborators was the legendary Alexander McQueen, with whom he collaborated on the first-ever live-streamed fashion show titled "Plato's Atlantis". They also partnered on a series of highly sought-after covers for The Face in 1998. Following McQueen's death, Knight created the film "To Lee, With Love, Nick". Reflecting on the film, Knight said 'This film is my way of speaking about a very unique and important person who changed my life. My desire was to speak in some way about the dark and the light contained within Lee and within us all.' Knight first premiered the film at the British Fashion Awards in late 2010 but it is now available for viewing on YouTube or SHOWstudio.com. The film showcases many of McQueen's most iconic pieces, styled by Edward Enninful, and features a soundtrack composed by Bjork. Describing the soundtrack, Exclaim magazine states, "Björk's song is the perfect accompaniment to the dramatic video, bringing together chilling blasts of horns and stark, dramatic vocals".
Nick Knight's influence in the world of photography is unparalleled. From his early beginnings as a student to his groundbreaking work at SHOWstudio, Knight has continuously pushed the boundaries of artistic expression. Through his exceptional photography, thought-provoking exhibitions, and captivating short films, he has left an undeniable mark on the industry. Knight's collaborations with notable figures like Alexander McQueen and Lady Gaga have further solidified his position as a visionary image-maker. His ability to challenge societal norms and address controversial issues with his art demonstrates his unwavering dedication to pushing the boundaries of convention. With his remarkable career spanning almost half a century, Nick Knight's contributions to the world of visual arts will continue to inspire and shape the industry for years to come.
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