w/ Markus Klinko
Words by: Vivian Li
Photos by: Markus Klinko
Photos by: Markus Klinko
From shooting Beyonce’s debut solo album to working with David Bowie, Klinko’s extensive yet impressive career isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Now shifting to more personal projects, he’s been working on the Angel Factory, a series of photos that feature celebrities and models in a futuristic clinic setting, commenting on society’s obsession with perfection.
But let's step back in time, well before the glitz and glamor. Prior to becoming a pop culture documentarian, Markus spent the initial 33 years of his life as a classical musician. His journey began with studying Harp at the Paris Conservatory, eventually leading to a major record deal with EMI classics. Yet, an unexpected hand injury abruptly halted his promising music career. It was at this point that he opted to embrace a different instrument – a camera – unaware of the incredible future that awaited him.
V: Tell me about the early stages of your career.
Markus: “In 2001, David Bowie asked me to shoot his album cover, and I had already shot Destiny's Child a few months earlier. So one thing led to the other, basically leading up to 2003 when Beyonce asked me to shoot her cover for her first solo album. And that's essentially how the Beyonce photoshoots paved the way for some of my most successful works with Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez, Mary Blige, among others.”
Lately, Markus has collaborated with Ice Spice, Joe Mantega, and Rolls Royce. His involvement in prominent art galleries worldwide has increased, where he has curated solo exhibitions originally commissioned by record labels, fashion brands, and magazines.
V: What plans do you have for the future?
Markus: “About a year ago, I started getting ideas to, for the first time, shoot a project that's actually completely designed for art galleries. The Angel Factory is an original gallery project that I created for the purpose of art exhibitions only. And so you said it so correctly, it is about the obsession of our society with perfection and plastic surgery. “
V: What do you hope to achieve with it?
M: “It’s a fun, social commentary. I think it's a great art project, and I got a lot of interest from high-tech medical companies to participate, and everyone loves it. So I just think it's a very, very exciting and creative project. “
V: Certainly. What role do the fashion, beauty, and entertainment industries play in perpetuating the idea of perfection? How do they profit from these ideals?
M: “Well, I believe that perfection in beauty is clearly a trademark of our time. Never has plastic surgery and medical treatments been more accessible. I mean, for instance, K- Pop and the Kardashians’ aesthetics are completely based on plastic surgery. Stars are completely remodeled, faces are redone, their bodies are a result of intense dieting, exercising across major plastic surgery. They're great examples. And the rest of the world is sort of embracing that trend.”
V: Do you believe the prevalence of plastic surgery, and the constant fixation on perfection is a positive or negative development?
M: “This is how I like to answer it: My role is not to judge. My role is to document pop culture. The camera is my paintbrush. I use the camera as a tool to create my art, and essentially I'm holding up a mirror to society. I'm holding up a mirror where people can see in my work what's going on, and they can make their own judgment. They can say it's good, it's bad. That's up to society. I'm just documenting. I'm not judging myself. I'm having fun, documenting, and you can read into it the way you want. “
There's no denying that Markus' achievements have made a significant impact on contemporary culture, but it also didn’t happen overnight. As a closing statement, he'd like to share with everyone,“The odds were really against me to succeed in the photography world because I had no training and experience whatsoever. When I decided to become a professional photographer, I had not even taken a picture as a hobby ever myself. My only experience was to be in front of the camera as a musician. But against all odds I succeeded. Do not give up, be very persistent and make your dreams come true. “
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