Steen Sundland
In and Out of Fashion
Aug 1 – Sept 30, 2022
Det Kongelig Teaters Kunstforening
This presentation contains a curated selection of images from the artist’s decades spanning career in fashion and portraiture.
A recurring theme in his fashion work is the cinematic exploration of the darker side of money, power and sex in modern society, often shown in exotic locations.
Steen Sundland: Crash #1, NYC, 2006 was part of a fashion editorial of more than 10 images inspired by JG Ballard’s book Crash (adapted by David Cronenberg in 1996), an investigation of the human fascination with death and the tendency to eroticize danger.
The Secretary #5, Berlin, 2007 was inspired by the 2002 movie about a young woman, recently released from a mental hospital, who is hired as a secretary by a demanding lawyer. Soon their employer-employee relationship turns sexual and sadomasochistic.
Copan #3, San Paolo, 2005, an homage to Oscar Niemeyer, was shot on the roof top and fire escapes of Niemeyer´s 42 story building Edifício Copan in San Polo.
Sundland´s portraiture work investigates and interprets the immediate connection and intimate collaboration between strangers, the photographer and his model. Always looking for the in-between moments and imperfect beauty that is far more interesting than posed selfware perfection, no matter whether his subject is a celebrity or a stranger on the street, his work captures the mood and personality of his model and the times.
About the artist
Steen Sundland is a Danish photographer working between fashion, portraiture, and fine art. Known for a gritty, cinematic approach, his images blur the line between editorial image-making and psychological portraiture.
After graduating from the Photographic School of Copenhagen, he moved to New York, where he photographed leading cultural figures including Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Isabella Rossellini. His work has appeared in publications including French Vogue, Vanity Fair, i-D, Interview, W Magazine, Numéro, Rolling Stone, and Muse.
Steen Sundland, Snake boy, Pennsylvania, 2002, pigment on paper, size 420 × 594 mm, image 370 x 460 mm – paper Size 300 × 400 mm, image 250 x 300 mm
Sundland’s portraiture explores the immediate connection between strangers, shaped through an intimate collaboration between photographer and subject.
Steen Sundland, Chemical Brothers, NYC, 1997 pigment on paper, size 420 × 594 mm, image 370 x 460 mm – paper Size 300 × 400 mm, image 250 x 300 mm
Photographed in downtown Manhattan the day after their concert, the portrait of Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons was made in the rain during a quiet walk between locations. Originally commissioned for Rolling Stone, it was later used for The Chemical Brothers’ second album, Dig Your Own Hole.
Steen Sundland, Milla Jovovich, NYC, 1994, pigment on paper, size 420 × 594 mm, image 370 x 460 mm – paper Size 300 × 400 mm, image 250 x 300 mm
Milla had just moved to New York and brought an electric energy to the shoot. Already seasoned in front of the camera from childhood, she moved effortlessly between stillness and performance. The opening image was made while we smoked on set, breaking the studio’s static atmosphere.
Steen Sundland, Macy Gray, Los Angeles, 1996, pigment on paper, size 400 × 400 mm – image 300 x 298 – paper Size 300 × 300 mm, image 250 x 249 mm
Macy Gray was photographed in downtown Los Angeles for her album sleeve. The location was still raw and gritty at the time, lending the image its edge.
Steen Sundland, Copan #3, San Paolo, 2005, pigment on paper, size 420 × 594 mm, image 370 x 460 mm – paper Size 300 × 400 mm, image 250 x 300 mm
Urban landscapes and dystopian settings have fascinated Sundland throughout his adult life. In São Paulo, the idea of an “urban jungle” becomes literal. Skyscrapers replace rainforest, and water is reimagined as private pools for those who can afford it.
Steen Sundland, The Secretary #5, Berlin, 2005, pigment on paper, size 420 × 594 mm, image 370 x 460 mm – paper Size 300 × 400 mm, image 250 x 300 mm
Inspired by the 2002 film of the same title, the image reframes its themes of power, intimacy, and control through editorial staging.
Steen Sundland, Crash #1, NYC, 2006, pigment on paper, size 420 × 594 mm, image 373 x 460 mm – paper Size 300 × 400 mm , image 250 x 300 mm
Inspired by J. G. Ballard’s Crash, the work uses a Bronx parking garage as a stage for a colour-driven film noir sensibility. Neon light compresses the palette toward monochrome, emphasising the friction between living flesh and manufactured steel.
Steen Sundland, Isabella Rossellini, NYC, 1994, pigment on paper, size 400 × 500 mm, image 300 x 396 mm – paper Size 300 × 400 mm , image 226 x 300 mm
Isabella Rossellini, NYC, 1994, Detour Magazine I was fascinated with Isabella’s lips, so I knew I wanted to capture a closeup of her lips. She always had a certain mystique to her - something untold.
Steen Sundland, Isabella Rossellini, NYC, 1994, pigment on paper, size 420 × 594 mm, image 400 x 580 mm – paper Size 300 × 400 mm , image 204 x 300 mm
Isabella Rossellini, NYC, 1994, Detour Magazine Little Italy outside the studio.
Steen Sundland, Scarlett Johansson #3, Brooklyn, 2003, pigment on paper, size 420 × 594 mm, image 373 x 460 mm – paper Size 300 × 400 mm, image 250 x 300 mm
Steen Sundland, Scarlett Johansson #1, Brooklyn, 2003, pigment on paper, size 420 × 594 mm, image 373 x 460 mm – paper Size 300 × 400 mm, image 250 x 300 mm
I photographed Scarlett in my Brooklyn studio for the movie "Lost in Translation".
Steen Sundland, Gotham City, Mid Town Skyline, NYC, 1999, pigment on paper, size 400 × 500 mm, image 400 x 500 mm – paper Size 300 × 400 mm, image 300 x 400 mm
The gloomy New York skyline has always intrigued me. It has been interpreted numerous times in popular culture - just think of Blade Runner and Batman. To me, the urban landscape comes of as promising yet sinister - I’m curious of the stories of the many people who live close together, but still seem to be so distanced from each other.
Steen Sundland, Bridget Hall, New York, 1998, pigment on paper, size 420 × 594 mm – images size 380 x 570 mm or pigment on paper, size 300x 400 mm – images size 250 x 300 mm
Steen Sundland, World Trade Center, New York, 1998, pigment on paper, size 420 × 594 mm – images size 378 x 470 mm or pigment on paper, size 300x 400 mm – images size 250 x 300 mm