Unearthing Provocation: Oliviero Toscani’s Legacy in His Own Voice

​​Welcome to the Archive Pull, a collection exploring the 30-year legacy of our print publication. Following the death of Oliviero Toscani, we revisit his autobiographical narrative, originally featured in the August 2013 edition of Dazed & Confused.

“I was born under British airstrikes in 1942. My mother relocated us away from Milan, up to the hills, because our home was destroyed when I was just six months old. We resided in a modest house, enjoying life, feeding ducks, chickens, cows, and horses. After the conflict, electricity arrived in the village and I vividly recall the first electric lightbulb being switched on [laughs]. It feels as though I’m from another era! I returned to Milan and naturally I had an accent from the mountains, so my classmates teased me. I had to wear shoes and dress up for school. It wasn’t what I wanted.

“My father worked as a photographer for Corriere della Sera. At the age of six, I possessed my first tiny camera and would take my photographs to my father’s workplace. I learned to develop pictures before I turned ten. I witnessed a lot of news events as a child – I would dash to my father and say, ‘Can I accompany you?’ He captured images of politicians, Hemingway, Toscanini, La Scala, beauty pageants, and similar events.

“I attended art school in Switzerland to study photography and graphic design. I had exceptional instructors who came directly from Bauhaus. I frequently visited London, photographing rock’n’roll concerts. Upon completion of my studies, I began taking reportage images – one of my initial assignments in ’65 featured a girl in a miniskirt. Annabelle noticed it and asked me to take fashion photography for the magazine. That’s how I launched my fashion career – after that Harper’s Bazaar in America recognized my work and that was it. At 25, I was wealthy, nearly [laughs]. It was akin to Blow-Up. I was already working for the leading magazines globally, including French Elle, Italian and British Vogue, GQ, and others. That was in the early 70s. I developed the concept for Jesus Jeans and collaborated with Ferucci and Esprit, then Benetton in the 1980s.

“I’m the most incompetent advertising photographer in existence. Other photographers seek approval, but I am indifferent. I produce what I believe is necessary” – Oliviero Toscani

“I began at Benetton in 1981 and stated, ‘Listen Luciano Benetton, I do not require an advertising agency, nor do I need marketing analysis. I will carry out my work and you will respond with ‘yes’ or ‘no’. If you wish to innovate, you cannot adhere to the rules.’ And he agreed with that.

“For World Aids Day in 1993, I created a colossal condom and placed it on the Obelisk in Place de la Concorde in Paris. Ronald Reagan claimed Aids was exclusively a homosexual issue, which I considered foolish. All the youth were engaged in the topic of Aids, so I said, ‘let’s explore what Aids is.’ I produced an edition of Colors magazine focused on Aids that received significant acclaim. The American Medical Association declared it the finest document regarding Aids ever produced.

“I’m the most incompetent advertising photographer in existence. Other photographers seek approval, but I am indifferent. I do what I believe I must. It’s extraordinary; I have an internal voice that guides me continuously. To create, you need to be profoundly insecure. What are we truly secure in? Ultimately, dying is the only certainty, everything else is negotiable [laughs]. Hence, I operate within the realm of options! I’m not a creative individual, but I’m a situationist.

“In 1993 I got a correspondence from a pupil of the University of Sarajevo stating, ‘Mr Toscani, you ought to do something since there is a conflict here and no one is addressing it.’ I contemplated, how can I portray a conflict that we prefer to ignore? Thus, I declared, ‘I will create an imagery of a deceased soldier devoid of a body.’ I requested the Croatian Red Cross to acquire a military uniform from a soldier, and that’s what that image represents. I became an icon for those university scholars.

“There had been ample censorship surrounding my photographs that I asserted, ‘I am going to produce an image that nobody can raise an objection to.’ Consequently, I visited the hospital and captured images of a newborn infant and initiated a campaign. I was unprepared for the response when that was released – individuals halted in the street, cursing and shouting, particularly in England. You understand how the British would prefer to see a newborn pup on display but they disdain infants.

“It took me three years to obtain authorization to enter death row to capture photos for the Sentenced to Death initiative. Then the moment the photograph was revealed, it was mutually agreed between Benetton and me that I would depart. I required them to publish the campaign. It stood out as one of my finest creations. In Europe, we lack capital punishment; it’s such a primitive method of administering justice. It has always fascinated me.

“I don’t feel rage. I recognize that some individuals prefer to remain steadfast in their viewpoints. When one initiates a discussion about an issue, society shrinks away from confronting it. I pursue my photography. They aren’t compelled to observe it.

“Every time you embark on something novel it generates controversy, right?” – Oliviero Toscani

“Every time you embark on something fresh it leads to controversy, correct? Observe, I’m simply a photographer; I wish to document my era. I’m not a fashion photographer, I’m not an advertising photographer, I’m not even a still-life photographer. I capture anything that captivates me in a manner I find intriguing; that’s my ideology. I’m not drawn to aesthetics or what is beautiful. I believe photography serves as the testament of humanity. Following Benetton, I photographed a village in Italy that was ravaged by Nazis during World War II. Five hundred and sixty individuals perished without any record. I conversed with the survivors from that time. They were children, three, five, six years of age; now they are approximately 80 or 90 years old.

“In undertaking fashion photography, I noticed that these young women appeared dreadful and began suffering severe health issues. Therefore, I created a short film regarding an anorexic female and there presented an opportunity for this brand to launch a campaign. That was when a significant controversy arose concerning the fashion industry and the reasons behind the girls’ frail appearances.

“All my work is personal. Even the most commercial of it is deeply personal. Wherever fashion exists, politics, challenges, ironies reside – it encompasses everything taking place. Every snapshot carries a socio-political narrative. I mean, a miniskirt represents a sociopolitical assertion.

“What I engage in now is titled The Human Race. I travel across the globe, capturing images and conversing with individuals. Currently, I have amassed around 50,000 portraits. I just visited Guatemala – the United Nations requested me to undertake this project there due to an issue of intolerance among minority groups. I travel to places like Libya and Tokyo, capturing remarkable faces. Years ago, someone mentioned to me, ‘Don’t photograph me as you’ll take my soul.’ That resonated with me because when you observe certain portraits, you can perceive the soul. That’s my pursuit. I’m not concerned about their actions. I search for individuals during moments when they seem especially vibrant.

“I refer to it as an endless exhibition. People inquire, ‘Will you hold a show?’ I am indifferent to that. I prefer images to be circulated in publications. I enjoy magazines and newspapers. I have six children from three different partners and 11 grandchildren. I consider myself fortunate. I reside on a farm in Tuscany where my studio is located. The Mediterranean is right in front of me. I produce my own olive oil and make my own wine. I raise horses. I manage to juggle everything. I always have time. Every day, I’m constantly working.”