State Duma Deputy Elena Mizulina, who considered the exhibition to be propaganda of child pornography. Opinions are divided - some consider the author a free artist, the second - almost a pedophile. This scandal attracted a new audience to the work of Jock Sturges, which had never heard of who he was before. We remembered other scandalous photographers whose works are on the verge of morality.

Diana Arbus

Most of all, the famous American photographer Diana Arbus liked taking pictures of people, and pictures of people with physical deformities brought her scandalous fame. Arbus began her photography career with her husband, Allan Arbus, who completed an army photography course during World War II. This practice existed in the troops of the United States, Britain and the USSR - specially trained soldiers filmed documentary footage of what was happening at the front. Thanks to this, for example, the shooting of the liberation of the concentration camps has come down to us - you can learn more about this by watching the documentary "Night Comes", which was edited by Alfred Hitchcock.

But we have moved away from the topic. Diana Arbus chose fashion as a subject of photography, then she was engaged in "extreme" reporting on transsexuals. The most famous works were created by her after watching the long-banned film "Freaks" (1932) about the artists of the circus show. Arbus switched to physical deformities, but even ordinary people, through the lens of her camera, became the heroes of some gloomy big top - ridiculous, pathetic and invariably unhappy. Arbus herself suffered from depression for a long time and, in the end, committed suicide by cutting her veins. She was 48 years old.

The most famous photographs of Diana Arbus are considered to be pictures of a giant next to his parents, twins and a boy with a grenade in Central Park in New York.

Joel-Peter Witkin

Like Allan Arbus, Joel-Peter Witkin had to work as a war photographer, albeit in the Vietnam War. Perhaps what he saw during the war influenced the photographer's handwriting - Witkin became famous for his dark and frightening photographs and collages in which he used parts of dead human bodies. Another factor that influenced Witkin is the childhood impression of a car accident in front of his house - a child in the car had his head blown off.

Photo: Alexey Nikolsky, TASS

The subjects of Witkin's photographs echo Arbus's handwriting: physical deformities, transsexuals and death.

Irina Ionesco

But the French photographer of Romanian origin Irina Ionesco is akin to Jock Sturges, only as a model for her prim erotic pictures she chose her own little daughter Eva, who at the beginning of the photo sessions was about five years old. In the scandalous photographs, the girl appears in an erotic image - naked, with defiant evening make-up and an adult look. At the age of 11, the girl became the youngest model Playboy (the pictures were taken by the famous French photographer Jacques Bourboulon), and until she was 12 she starred in the films "Spermula", "The Tenant" and "Dissolute Childhood".

No matter what connoisseurs of art say about Irina's complacent motives, Eve, having matured, several times sued her mother. Today she is known as a film actress and director. Among her works is the autobiographical film My Little Princess.

One way or another, Irina Ionesco has become a famous photographer throughout Europe with her unique style. It is a fatal, mourning sexuality with a touch of perversion and pain. It seems that her heroines, both defiantly attractive and old-fashioned, are not ordinary women, but real witches or ghosts drowning in blackness.

Boris Mikhailov

Ukrainian photographer Boris Mikhailov became notorious after the release of a series of photos entitled "Case History". In 1997-1998, Mikhailov photographed Kharkiv homeless people and street children in the most unsightly form, including naked. For a long time, the main theme of his work was the decomposition of Soviet and post-Soviet society. The first known series of photographs was the "Red Series", created in the 60s and 70s and also impartially depicting ordinary Soviet citizens.

Photo: Stanislav Krasilnikov, TASS

Mikhailov became the first Ukrainian photographer to receive the prestigious European Hasselblad award.

Andres Serrano

American photographer with Honduran and Cuban roots Andres Serrano does not shun urine, feces and even corpses to create his works. A picture of the crucifixion in a container of urine, taken in 1987, brought him real fame. The work was named Piss christ, or "The Writing Christ". Photography began to win prizes and travel to exhibitions, provoking the outrage of believers, but all this only worked for Serrano's popularity.

Bill Henson

Another photographer whose interest in nude childlike nature simultaneously played against him and added to his popularity is Bill Henson. Fame came to the Australian after the scandalous closure of the exhibition in Sydney in 2008. Moreover, the police confiscated half of the works as pornographic. Art critics defended the artist, but Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd supported the police action.

Terry Richardson

Terry Richardson has gone down in photography history as one of the most famous fashion photographers. He worked with Jimmy choo, Hugo boss, Yves saint laurent, photographed Barack Obama, Woody Allen, Johnny Depp and Lady Gaga, shot the calendar Pirelli... Despite all this, he is the owner of an extremely scandalous reputation.

The son of a fashion photographer and dancer, Richardson first played punk in a band The invisible governmentand then switched to photography, which he did very well. Richardson became famous for his candid and funny photographs with stars, and elements of pornography are often present in his photographs. The photographer deliberately tackles "slippery" topics, however, as a rule, comes out the winner. So, for shooting half-naked models on luxury yachts against the background of cities sunk as a result of global warming, Terry Richardson received the Silver Lion of Cannes.

Photo: PA Photos, TASS

Scandals in the photographer's life began in 2010, when Danish model Ri Rasmussen accused him of molesting young models. After that, model Jamie Peck accused Richardson of sexual harassment. Rumors were confirmed by many other models, photographers and filmmakers, but Richardson dismisses all charges. I must say that an eccentric photographer not only forces others to undress (as well as spit beer, milk a cow in his mouth and cover causal places with a fashionable suitcase), but he is also ready for madness, including filming completely naked.

Maria Al-Salhani

With a notorious photographer Jock Sterjdes (Jock sturges) was born in New York in 1947. His most famous works include The Last Day of Summer (1991), Evolution of Grace (1994), Jock Sturges (1996), Jock Sturges: Twenty-Five Years (2004), Jock Sturges: Notes (2004), Misty Dawn Portrait of a Muse (2008), Jock Sturges Life Time (2008), Standing on Water (1991), Line of Beauty and Grace (2007). Sterzhes received a Master of Arts degree from the San Francisco Art Institute, after which, his fame received a new round in his biography.

It is noteworthy, but the greatest resonance among the public was caused by his exhibition Jock Sturges. Without embarrassment " taking place in Moscow. On September 24, children's ombudsman Anna Kuznetsova called for a prosecutor's inspection of this exhibition of the photographer, in which Roskomnadzor recognized the exhibited works as child pornography.

Note that the photographer's exhibition opened in Moscow at the Lumiere Brothers Center for Photography on September 8. Naked girls became models in Jock Sturges's works. According to the author, his work is a depiction of a female nature during puberty. As for his other works present at the exhibition, visitors to nudist beaches became their heroes.

Earlier, Sturges has repeatedly received charges, both from the Russian Roskomnadzor, and from Christian activists in the US and the FBI. Despite this, long legal proceedings have led nowhere, and the interventions of the art community in the United States and Europe helped the photographer to avoid "punishment." Since then, his works have gained popularity all over the world.

At the moment, the Sturges exhibition, the entrance to which cost 420 rubles, is closed. An unknown opponent of controversial art doused the shocking photographer's photos with urine.

This is how Sturges commented on the closing of his exhibition at the Lumiere Brothers Center for Photography in Moscow in an interview with RENTV: “It's very sad because I wanted to do a great show. My works are exhibited in many galleries in different countries ", The photographer notes, while adding the following excuse - “My photos contain about 25 families whom I photographed from the beginning of the 70s of the last century for 45 years. People who agree to take part in my photo sessions do it voluntarily ".

The scandalous photos of Jock Sturges can be viewed here: ( link removed at the request of the copyright holder). However, we warn you that the works are intended for persons over 18 years of age!

About the man who plunged all the righteous and adherents of the puritanical customs of Moscow into violent anger - Jock Sturges - a lot has been said over the past weeks. His scandalous exhibition Absence of shame received a lot of attention, but not at all the one that the photographer, who visited Moscow for the first time, expected.

The world-renowned master has been photographing residents of nudist communes in a natural and comfortable environment for over 30 years. His works contain all the components necessary for art: a harmonious composition, a storyline, a verified balance of light and shade. And yet, Sturges' Moscow solo exhibition painfully touched upon the question as old as the world: what is art?

The activists who took up arms against the organizers of the exhibition and the author himself answered this question unambiguously and immediately for everyone, saying that the pictures presented were nothing more than child pornography. They attempted to blockade the Lumiere Brothers Center, where the exhibition was held, made official statements to the Attorney General's office and filled the Internet with righteous indignation, completely ignoring the fact that Sturges has no more "pornography" than Renaissance paintings. Without waiting for any official results of the check, the outraged activists decided to take the situation into their own hands.

Jock Sturges, who sincerely admired Moscow as a city of the 21st century, did not expect a repetition of the history that happened to him 26 years ago. Then, in 1990, the head of the Evangelical Church, Randall Terry, initiated a campaign against photographers who, in his opinion, offend the feelings of believers with their work. Prior to that, he actively opposed abortion, but, finding himself in a losing situation, decided to channel his forces in a different direction. So Sturges came under the gun of the American authorities. He had to pay lawyers in several states at once, but all charges were quickly dropped due to lack of corpus delicti.

Today, like a quarter of a century ago, the scandal surrounding the exhibition of Sturges' works in Moscow is a storm born of the speculation of individuals and their vision of the situation through the prism of their own depravity. After all, what is actually shown in these pictures? Sensual and fragile beauty is a subject so ephemeral that artists, sculptors and photographers of all eras have devoted and continue to devote their work to attempts to perpetuate it.

Sturges first began shooting nude in the 1970s, although by then he already had a degree in fine arts and a wealth of experience in fashion and advertising photography. One day, driving through North Carolina, he accidentally stumbled upon a hippie commune: on a cool day, completely naked people stood along the road and basked in the sun. The photographer was struck by the fact that people did not pay attention to their own nudity and, being completely naked, felt comfortable. After that incident, he purposefully went to explore similar communes in France.

Having abandoned the pursuit of the number of models, the master focused on individual families with whom he has been in relationship for more than a dozen years. According to him, the accumulated photo archives tell the story of his friendship with members of the communities, as well as the changes that have happened to their lives and faces during this time.

An exhibition of works by Jock Sturges "Without embarrassment" provoked a pedophile scandal. A PHOTO. 18+

An exhibition by controversial photographer Jock Sturges, No Embarrassment, held at the Lumiere Brothers Center for Photography has led to accusations of pedophilia. In particular, Member of the Federation Council Elena Mizulina expressed her indignation.

Federation Council member Yelena Mizulina called the exhibition of works by American photographer Jock Sturges entitled "No Embarrassment" at the Lumiere Brothers Center for Photography in Moscow "pedophile".

"This exhibition is a public demonstration of materials with child pornography, which is prohibited by Russian law: article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation 242.1. In this regard, it is necessary to check who gave permission to hold such an exhibition. I am convinced that the works depicting naked little girls presented on exhibition cannot be interpreted as a work of art. This is the real propaganda of pedophilia. The exhibition must be urgently closed, "- said in a statement Mizulina.

Some of Jock Sturges' models are naked girls.

According to the photographer himself, his work is an image of female nature during puberty. Characters in other photographs of the photographer - visitors to the nudist beaches of France, Ireland and North Carolina. In total, about 40 works of different years were brought to the exhibition in Moscow.

Jock Sturges. No embarrassment. 18+

Jock Sturges is known for seeing girls around puberty. This has previously attracted the attention of US law enforcement agencies.

On April 25, 1990, police broke into Jock Sturges' studio in San Francisco along with FBI agents. A computer, cameras, negatives, finished photographs, etc. were confiscated. The proceedings lasted over a year.

The art community in the United States and Europe came out in defense of the photographer, including thanks to this support, the Rule of Law Council ruled on the misconduct of the police and the FBI, the San Francisco court did not bring any charges against Jock Sturges.

And his popularity increased after that.

Since then, he has published more than 10 personal albums, organized many personal and took part in no fewer group exhibitions, his works began to be eagerly bought.

In the second half of the 1990s, the Protestant communities in the United States came out against the photographer. Their activists picketed book stores, demanding the destruction of Jock Sturges' photo albums. The Puritans also went to court on numerous occasions. In particular, in the late 1990s, in the state of Alabama, they succeeded in banning photographs of Jock Sturges as "photographs of persons under 17 who carry out indecent acts."

The photographer himself commented: “It is very difficult to achieve fame by doing purely artistic photography. Now I have achieved this, but I was forever deprived of the opportunity to know whether my works are popular solely due to their artistic merits or is the result of scandals around them. I feel as if I am robbed, and I will never be able to return the stolen. Some critics accused me of trying to profit from the situation, but forgot to mention that the situation was not my fault. "

Sturges is also known for his series of nudist families in France, Northern California and Ireland. Made with a large format camera, his photographs refer us to the works of old masters of painting and photographers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Despite the attacks on Sturges for the fact that his work often contains a very young nude, the pictures do not leave a feeling of depravity.

Sturges does not work with nude as an abstract form, but creates a special contact with the person, which makes his photographs so charming and relaxed. For many years he has been friends with the families of his models. The photographer takes pictures of his models - girls and girls from nudist communities - in an environment that is completely harmonious for themselves.

"Nudity here does not mean anything ... People are naked because they are nudists and spend the warm season in resorts, free from feelings of embarrassment," says the author.

Sturges, according to him, is interested not only in physiological metamorphoses, but also in the personal changes that a person undergoes: "I want the viewer to realize how interesting and multifaceted the people in my photographs are, looking at my photographs."

And after a check carried out by members of the "Officers of Russia" organization, Sturges' photo exhibition was closed. Shortly before that, Elena Mizulina accused the organizers of "public demonstration of child pornography."

The photographer is surprised and very saddened by the incident. According to Sturges, there is no pornography in his work, and it has not been seen in any gallery. Moreover, the closing of the exhibition provoked a huge interest among Russians in the works of the American photographer. According to Google Trends, after the scandal at the Lumiere Brothers Center for Photography, Sturges interested Russians more than rapper Timati and even Sergei Shnurov. Meanwhile, a flash mob in support of this exhibition with the hashtag # of shamelessness is gaining momentum on social networks.

The Ministry of Culture believes that the photo exhibition "Jock Sturges. Without Embarrassment" that caused the scandal "does not leave a feeling of depravity."

“Despite attacks on Sturges for the fact that his work often features a very young nude, the pictures do not leave a feeling of depravity. Sturges does not work with nude as an abstract form, but creates a special contact with the person, which makes his photographs so charming and relaxed. Sturges has been friends with the families of his models for many years. The photographer takes pictures of his models - girls and girls from nudist communities - in an environment that is completely harmonious for themselves ", - noted on the website of the department.

From the biography of Jock Sturges

American photographer (Jock Sturges) was born in 1947 in New York. After school he served in the army, was the chief photographer of a military base. Demobilized, he entered Marlborough College in Vermont and studied educational psychology. Jock later took up photography in the genres of portrait, fashion and advertising photography. During the summer months, he went to the nude beaches of California, France and Ireland, where he filmed nude. Many of his photographs depict girls in puberty, which did not go unnoticed by law enforcement officers.

First scandal

In 1990, police and FBI agents invaded Jock Sturges' studio in San Francisco. They confiscated a computer, cameras, negatives and printed photographs. The photographer's trial lasted over a year. His defense was supported by the Art Society of the USA and Europe, which influenced the Rule of Law Council. As a result, a decision was made about the illegal actions of the police.

After this incident, the popularity of the photographer instantly grew. He has published over 10 photo albums and took part in many solo and group exhibitions. His works were actively bought up. Some of the works included in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the National Library in Paris and the Frankfurt Museum of Modern Art.

The end of the 90s was marked by new excitement for the photographer. Protestant communities have repeatedly appealed to the courts, and also picketed US bookstores, demanding the destruction of Jock Sturges' photo albums.

Here's what the photographer himself said about it:

“It is very difficult to achieve fame by doing purely artistic photography. Now I have achieved this, but I have been forever deprived of the opportunity to know whether my works are popular solely because of their artistic merit, or is it the result of scandals that arise around them. I feel as if I have been robbed and I can never get the stolen back. Some critics accused me of trying to capitalize on this situation, but they forgot to mention that the situation was not my fault. "