Alice Springs

artnet

Alice Springs, or June Newton, is one of my favourite photographers. She is the wife of another famous photographer, the late Helmut Newton. Helmut's photographs are internationally recognized; his interest in the female body, specifically large and powerful women, comes across in an incredibly stimulating way. June's photographs often share a similar outlook: her subjects are mostly female based and often nude, but are shot from a very different point of view. I am so inspired by their lifetime together as lovers and contemporaries, and how their works feeds off each other's. I don't think you can have a full understanding of the work of one without looking at the other's as well.

In my favourite picture of her, taken by her husband, you can see the beauty both in stylistic elements, but also in capturing an intimate and suggestive moment.

She seems like a really cool lady. Here are some of her photos.

peace

artinfo

pas un autre

Compared to her husbands' stark and even kinky images, June's exude a softness—but have, I think, a very keen and sharp sense of humour to them. The portrayal of women by women differs greatly, and complicated issues of the male gaze no longer apply.

June is a great talent, who's work alone shows the passion that existed in her marriage. Here is a documentary she shot of their life. (This is part 1, the rest you can find on Youtube.)

richard porter

It seems, on the surface, that her life is dictated by his work, but you can see that he respects her not as an assistant but as a colleague. It takes a great woman to not feel overpowered by a successful partner, but to use it to her advantage—to take on the images that they both find inspiring and give a female point of view to the starkness of her husband's work. In one of Helmut's most famous photos you can see, just like in many others, that June is present, always on the side-lines, and just as much of a creator.