Once upon a time there was a dear young lady who was loved by every one who looked at her, but most of all by her 13 huskies and her grandmother, and there was nothing that she would not have given to the grandchild. Once she gave her a red cocktail dress made by Dior, which suited her so well that she would never wear anything else. So she was always called Little Red Riding Hood.
Millions of children all over the world grew up listening to the famous European fairy tale written by Charles Perrault and the Grimm Brothers more than 200 years ago. But who has written the new adaptation with the red Dior dress and the huskies? A modern fairy tale teller named Eugenio Recuenco.
Todos los cuentos del mundo, 2009; © Eugenio Recuenco / Courtesy of CAMERA WORK Gallery
The renowned Spanish photographer and crossover artist is known for his surrealistic artwork inspired by art history, film and fairy tales. Photography and staging are interwoven, and the opulent, surrealistic works are created with technical and aesthetic perfection.
Eugenio Recuenco’s work is characterized by an artistic vision with a high recognition value – like the artworks by Tim Walker, Irving Penn or Peter Lindbergh. The works are based on an emotional depth and a unique creativity that lead to a narrative complexity.
Woman In The Pop Corn, 2006; © Eugenio Recuenco / Courtesy of CAMERA WORK Gallery
A new exhibition of the 55-year-old Spanish artist, whose career spans advertising, fashion, set design and art, will soon be on show in Berlin, Germany. CAMERA WORK Gallery will present an exhibition with around 20 predominantly large-format works from three decades (2006 to 2023) by Eugenio Recuenco, starting February 24, 2024. The motifs from One Thousand and One Nights prove that Eugenio Recuenco’s oeuvre has had a lasting impact on contemporary photography and the art market.
Tomando el Té, 2006; © Eugenio Recuenco / Courtesy of CAMERA WORK Gallery
MADRID, PARIS, NEW YORK – A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY
Eugenio Recuenco was born in Madrid, Spain, in 1968. He studied fine art before focusing on photographic art. Early on in his career, he worked for magazines such as Vogue, Vanity Fair and GQ, as well as on campaigns for brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, Boucheron, Diesel, and Nina Ricci. It was thanks to a Cinderella-style advertising campaign for a Nina Ricci perfume that he rose to international fame. In 2007, 2012 and again in 2021 he was invited to create the Lavazza Calendar. In addition, Recuenco was hired as art director in New York for the opera Les Huguenots and began producing commercials, campaign films, short films and documentaries as well as creating music videos for numerous bands. The artist has received numerous awards for his work, which is regularly featured in international solo and group exhibions.
THE INSPIRATION BEHING THE ARTWORK BY RECUENCO
Madness 2006; © Eugenio Recuenco / Courtesy of CAMERA WORK Gallery
1256 / Picasso I; 2012 © Eugenio Recuenco / Courtesy of CAMERA WORK Gallery
Dreams number 9, 2007; © Eugenio Recuenco / Courtesy of CAMERA WORK Gallery
Cover photo of the article The Spaniard Who Reinvented Little Red Riding Hood: Little Red Riding Hood / Caperucita Roja, 2009; © Eugenio Recuenco / Courtesy of CAMERA WORK Gallery
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