Helmut Newton

Helmut Newton was born in Germany in 1920 and is a renowned photographer. He studied at the American school in Berlin and went on to do an apprenticeship with Elsie Simon a famous photographer known as Yva.

During the Second World War, Newton fled to China, stopping in Singapore and Ultimately made it to Australia, serving in the Australian Army for five years.

Newton married June Burnell, a fellow photographer in 1948 whom he was married to until his tragic death in 2004.

Newton opened a photo studio in Melbourne and was later hired by Vogue Australia, British Vogue and French Vogue. Throughout his career, Helmut Newtown photographed for many A grade magazines including Playboy, Queen, Elle, Marie-Claire and Nova.

Newton began depicting the sexual candour of particularly the female body in the early 70’s, which were deemed the most controversial works of his career.

Newton captured the beauty of the naked human body, but artistically contrasted the norm with undertones of fetish, sadomasochism and lesbianism which sparked controversy and a uniqueness to Newton’s photographs.

Newton’s provocative imagery challenged social norms of the time and made his works not only engaging but powerful, eventually photographing many famous artist, politicians, models and actors.

In 1975 Newton staged his first one-man exhibition and later went on to publish a book ‘White Women’. Newton later went on to exhibit in the Neue National Galerie in Berlin and subsequently released the book ‘Work’.

Even after his death, Newton’s works are highly sought after and continue to reflect the quality of this great artist.