Style
Raw Spirit
text by Karena Gupton aKhavein
To truly look at one of Russell James’ iconic photos, be it a portrait of a beautiful girl or a moody shot of a stunning landscape,
is to be awed by the very real sense of intimacy that emanates
from the work. An interesting factoid is that the Australian
photographer, perhaps best known for the lush images of gorgeous women he shoots for Victoria’s Secret, is also infamous
for his habit of going barefoot whenever possible. After all, what
more literal manner is there of grounding ones’ self, of experiencing the land in which one happens to be standing at any
given moment? Fantastically well executed lingerie shots aside,
Russell’s most evocative works, and those that reflect his life’s
passion, are far less commercial.
Russell embarked on what he calls his “Nomad Two Worlds”
photography project in 2001. Since then, he has continued
developing the subject through collaborative works—namely
photographs painted over by indigenous artists—that have been
exposed in prestigious spaces and events all over the planet.
Initially, the “two worlds” referred to the Australian photographer’s home continent: torn between an until-recently covered
up aboriginal past and the tensions of the present day. Soon,
Russell expanded his concept to include other countries and
cultures, such as Haiti and the Seminole tribe native to the South
Eastern United States. The project intends to act on a global scale,
and its collaborative nature is meant to aid in working together
to enable a culture in flux to heal and to move forward. The Two
Worlds series now also includes video, as Russell explores other
art forms as a means of getting his message across.
Next, branching out even more, Russell furthered this ideal
of creative collaboration with Raw Spirit, a growing collection
of unisex fragrances—there were six at press time—devised in
part with the help of Dr. Richard Walley, artist and spokesperson
of Western Australia’s Noongar people. More recently, collaboration with the Native American Chumash Indian Museum in
California furthered the Raw Spirit journey.
Considering Russell’s background as one of the most accomplished photographers of our time, it comes as no surprise that
the images that accompany the fragrances’ marketing materials
would be integral to the project. Namibian supermodel Behati
Prinsloo, who has worked with Russell on Victoria’s Secret
shoots, was chosen for her natural beauty, energy, and, yes, spirit,
and was shot in the dramatic natural setting of the Seminole
Tribe Lands in Florida. Also shot on the Seminole Tribe’s land
are an arresting collection of grainy, moody, sepia-toned art
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photographs. The series was the result of Russell’s meeting
James E. Billie, the Chief of the Seminole Tribe, and being given
full access to the Tribe, its lands, and its traditions. This project
previewed at the CameraWork gallery in Berlin this past spring.
The Raw Spirit business model, which truly aims