Production house Hey Wonderful has added filmmaker and photographer Ellen von Unwerth to its roster for commercial representation in North America, the U.K. and France. Her signature style combines fine art and irreverence, often depicting subjects as provocative, flirtatious and powerful. Recent work includes fashion films for Vogue with Georgia May Jagger and Cosmopolitan with Miley Cyrus, a Shiseido commercial featuring Lady Gaga and a campaign for Hunger magazine with a music-driven branded short and editorial feature.
Through the end of this month, Von Unwerth’s photography appears in two prestigious galleries: Iconic photographs of Madonna, Kate Moss, Claudia Schiffer, Elle Macpherson and Jennifer Lopez are featured in the Preiss Fine Arts Gallery Vienna “Affairs” exhibition; and in what marks her fourth solo exhibition at Opera Gallery Zurich, “Pretty on the Inside” celebrates her “exhilaratingly elastic interpretations of the traditional fashion story and its supermodels.” Coming soon on September 5th, Swedish photography museum Fotografiska will open its first New York City outpost with a von Unwerth exhibition which was initially shown in Stockholm in 2018 and will tour London and Tallinn in 2020.
“I’ve been a long-time fan of Ellen and her legendary work,” said Michael Di Girolamo,” founder/managing partner of Hey Wonderful. “Her taste is unparalleled and her work represents a vision of freedom and self-expression through movement, striking portraits and off-angle framing. Her truly unique sense of style and unmistakable aesthetic make her one of the most influential fashion photographer/directors today. Her love for her art and craft permeates everything she makes.”
Sarah McMurray, Hey Wonderful partner/EP, said, ““Ellen’s work has unequivocally shaped photography today. She has always elegantly straddled the divide between fine art and commercial work, and played a huge role in bringing those worlds closer together. Working with Ellen is truly a dream come true and we can’t wait to expand the reach of her live-action work.”
“Hey Wonderful is respected for its original work and perspective,” von Unwerth said. “Mutual friends brought us together and we quickly realized we were a good fit. I love what I do and find Michael and Sarah’s enthusiasm very refreshing and exciting.”
Von Unwerth’s own passion spills over to all her storytelling pursuits. She’s brought her coquettish point of view and sophisticated technique to branded films for Dior, Guess, Azzedine Alaïa and Katharine Hamnett, music videos for Beyoncé and Christina Aguilera and album covers for Rihanna, along with many other commercials and music videos. It was kindred spirits–“kick-ass people, alternative cultures, cinema and individual empowerment”–that inspired one of her newest endeavors, the limited-edition VON magazine. VON has featured covers of Cate Blanchett and Miley Cyrus, along with signed and hand-numbered prints of Von Unwerth’s original photos.
Von Unwerth was previously repped in the ad arena by Serial Pictures. Born in Germany and currently based in Paris, von Unwerth has had her work take her around the world. Her photography books have inspired many exhibits and are part of various permanent collections. They include “Snaps,” published in 1994, followed by “Wicked” (1998), “Couples” (1999), the photo-novella “Revenge” (2003), “Omahyra & Boyd” (2005), “Fräulein” (2009), “DieSpieler” (2010), the photo-novella “The Story of Olga” (2012) and “Heimat” (2017).
