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I Created A Photography Project “Iconic” To Pay Tribute To Historic Figures Who Shaped The World As We Know It (30 Pics)
The photographic project ICONIC began in 2016 and evolved since then into a huge work of art and passion.
With the help of fashion designer Lucie Vervellea and visual and makeup artist Joris Souris, I was able to recreate with innovation and accuracy more than 150 photos of artistic and historic figures who shaped the world as we know it.
In order to make the project flawless, artistic and physiognomic skills were required as well as historic and biographic knowledge of each icon.
Here's a mesmerizing glimpse of this work. You can also check out my work at the links below.
More info: Instagram | etienneclotis.com | Facebook | Vimeo
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I am Etienne CLOTIS photographer and director. I am passionate about images. I love to tell stories for 20 years already!
I am passionate about all forms of art, as a child, I did dance, singing and theatre, then I went back to the Conservatory to make films, but one day I fell in love with photography!
Freddie Mercury
"Iconic" was born thanks to my passion for Marilyn Monroe, I find it extraordinary that someone who has died for years can still be so present in the collective culture.
One day I photographed a look-alike of Marilyn and it was the beginning of the creation of "Iconic". I partnered with a talented makeup artist, Joris Souris and a stylist who is passionate about her profession, Lucie Vervellea.
Carrie Fisher
The challenge was to dive into the life of a character because it was not possible for me to just copy a photograph or a vague idea of the icon we wanted to photograph.
The goal was to get to know the character, to find my vision of his or her life! What period to represent? How to dress him or her? What’s gonna be recognizable? For that I read between 2 and 3 biographies per character, it takes a lot of time! But it was still an exciting adventure!
Frida Kahlo
"Iconic" represents three years of work, it is now a book with more than 180 photographs inside. It is with this book that I got my Master's in photography and I am very proud of it!
You can check out the book here!
David Bowie
Twiggy
Fabulous. Absolutely fabulous. Twiggy was a true sign of changing time.
Ray Charles
Napoléon
I actually love this. His posture, the clouds in the background. Very thoughtful piece.
Frank Sinatra
Elizabeth Taylor
This is a very powerful visual and a deep statement on Elizabeth's power and beauty if the day.
Pablo Picasso
Bob Marley
Audrey Hepburn
The model looks like that singer Ariana Grande, but she is hardly iconic, unlike Hepburn.
Jackie Kennedy
white gloves would have been a dramatic touch. Still, a powerful image though.
Alfred Hitchcock
Louis Xiv
Maria Callas
Mohamed Ali
Nina Simone
Charlie Chaplin
Jeanne D'arc
I could be wrong, but my humble opinion is that this is not an accurate representation of the spirit of Jeanne D'arc. Fishnets? Really? This is the only one of these I didn't care for though.
Marilyn Monroe
Nope. Doesn't not do MM justice although it is a pretty picture of whomever this girl is.
Le Petit Prince
Alice In Wonderland
She looks a little too elfish and knowing, Alice is supposed to be innocent and perhaps a touch naive.
Elvis Presley
It looks like a plastic doll. No charisma, no expression ... sigh ... what a pity, Elvis is dead
Johnny Hallyday
Evita
Nice pic, but it looks more like the portrayal of Madonna's portrayal of Evita than Evita herself.
Prince
Catherine Deneuve
Sorry not the LEAST resemblance ... and not even 0.1 percent of this fabulous womans charisma ... I'm sure the artist could do better 😊
To all the people who clammered on about how this person didn't look enough like so and so or that person didn't have the spark of such and such....really? Seriously? STFU. They're NOT the actual people so OF COURSE they don't look like them. In the cases that they do it's a major bonus but why do you have to go charging in with your negativity? Just shut up and look at the photos and by the way, why does everyone want to criticize everything? God, so rude.
There are some AMAZING likenesses here! Some made me wonder if they'd just taken the real photograph and tried to trick us! Super Job!!! ;-)
To all the people who clammered on about how this person didn't look enough like so and so or that person didn't have the spark of such and such....really? Seriously? STFU. They're NOT the actual people so OF COURSE they don't look like them. In the cases that they do it's a major bonus but why do you have to go charging in with your negativity? Just shut up and look at the photos and by the way, why does everyone want to criticize everything? God, so rude.
There are some AMAZING likenesses here! Some made me wonder if they'd just taken the real photograph and tried to trick us! Super Job!!! ;-)
