Erik Madigan Heck, geboren 1983 in Minnesota, ist ein amerikanischer Mode-Fotograf, Herausgeber der vierteljährlich erscheinenden Fotozeitschrift Nomenus Quarterly und Korrespondent für das A Magazine. 2012 produzierte er die 'Art of Fashion' Kampagne der Kaufhauskette Neiman Marcus, fotografierte für die Designerin Mary Katrantzou und drehte den Film 'The End' für die belgische Modemacherin Ann Demeulemeester. 2013 erhielt er als einer der jüngsten Fotografen den ICP Infinity Award, 2015 folgten Auszeichnungen vom ADC und dem AI-IP American Photography Award für sein 'Old Masters Portfolio', veröffentlicht im New York Times Magazine. In seiner relativ jungen Karriere entwickelte der Fotograf eine ganz eigene Sichtweise auf die Mode mit einem unverwechselbaren Umgang mit Farben und Formen.
"I’ve always looked to painting as a guide for how one can use colour and represent the figure – from the work of Édouard Vuillard and the Nabis, Edgar Degas and the Impressionists, to contemporary painters like Peter Doig, Marlene Dumas and Gerhard Richter. Art is a continuum you are meant to build from, and you shouldn’t hide from your influences. As long as you’re transforming what resonates into something new, that’s art-making," so Erik Madigan Heck
2017 veröffentlichten Thames & Hudson und Abrams Books Erik Madigan Hecks erste Monographie mit dem Titel 'Old Future'. Die Nicholas Metivier Gallery zeigt bis zum 5. Mai Arbeiten des Fotografen in der gleichnamigen Ausstellung, am 28. April trifft man den Fotografen zum Artists Talk in der Galerie in Toronto. Danach ist die Ausstellung übrigens bei Christophe Guye in Zürich zu sehen.
"American photographer Erik Madigan Heck has become one of the most successful and prolific fashion photographers working today. Acclaimed for his ability to capture the essence of painting through the lens of a camera, Heck elevates fashion portraiture into high art. Originally from Excelsior, Minnesota and now based in Connecticut and New York City, Heck has collaborated with major fashion designers including Gucci, Junya Watanabe, Comme des Garçons and Giambattista Valli, to create his elegantly beautiful photographs.
Looking to painting for inspiration, Heck’s photographs are influenced by the works of Impressionist painters such as, Édouard Vuillard and Edgar Degas and 16th century Flemish portraiture. Heck explores the relationship between fashion and painting by immersing himself into every aspect of his photographs. He designs the sets, objects and materials that transform his final images. Using a combination of natural light and in-camera effects with post-production he builds highly saturated hues to create a softness that blurs the boundaries between photography and painting. It is this mastery of light, colour, form and texture that makes his work simultaneously timeless and futuristic," so Nicholas Metivier Gallery.