Christophe Mourthé is one of the world’s leading fetish photographers.
His unique vision has found expression in art books of his own conception, exhibitions, installations and films.
He has also worked as a commercial photographer, shooting editorial features, print advertising, record albums and book
covers in Paris, London, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Munich.
Christophe Mourthé is a visionary who quickly felt that social trends in the 1980s were constantly changing. He rapidly became a forerunner of the ‘fetishist’ school, which was later incorporated by the world of advertising. Christophe Mourthé’s fetishism became a true style, preceding a fashion trend which haute couture would later appropriate. His photos are rooted both in the tumultuous period of freedom of the 1970s and the period of ‘safe sex’, which would abruptly halt the enthusiasm of that decade. Other ways of experiencing love developed, and one of those was fetishism. Christophe Mourthé belonged to the ‘Palace’ generation, just like Mugler, Gaultier, Chantal Thomass, Madonna, Nina Hagen, Blondie, Lou Boutin, etc, headed by the spiritual father Fabrice Emaer.
The famous ‘Casanovas’, characters from a decadent 18th century, pictured in the half-light of Venetian palaces, were the result of a collaboration in 1983 with the brilliant make-up artist and hairdresser Denis Menendez. The ‘Casanovas’ were exhibited all over the world and acknowledged as photographic masterpieces in a daring style.
His services were also called upon by the fashion industry. He worked with top magazines (Playboy, Newlook – at 22 years old, he was one of the top photographers for magazines such as Penthouse, Lui, Vogue, Max etc.), photographing the trendiest models while letting himself be guided by the rhythm of images from his dreams.
Then there were assignments from the advertising world (Dim, Rosy, etc.), the big press agencies (Stills, Sipa, Sygma, etc.) and record companies (covers, posters, etc.).
Through the quality of his work, Christophe Mourthé took fetishism out of its x-rated context in 1991, long before haute couture appropriated it. In 1993, an exhibition was organised in Paris and the album ‘Phyléa’ came out; this book was considered to be the book of the year in Europe. Mourthé recreated the world of erotic comic strips in photography. Fetishism was made available to the general public. It was shown and exhibited. The press was unanimous. ‘Fetish dream’ was published in Japan in 1994. That same year, Mourthé’s work was exhibited in Los Angeles and he published the book ‘Marlène Love’ in France. Marlène, a 90s TV pin-up was subsequently immortalised as the star of the phantasma. In 1998 he started working with Boutique Minuit, the Mecca of the fetishist scene in Brussels. He published a new book dedicated to this world, as well as a 3D CD-ROM.
The publisher ‘Editions de la Musardine’ released ‘Scandal’, featuring photos of all the models which had inspired the artist in the past 20 years.
Under the guidance of Maître Cornette de Saint Cyr, auctioneer and prominent European expert in contemporary art, about one hundred of Christophe Mourthé’s photographic works were auctioned in 2002 at the Lutétia hotel in Paris.
By putting together the exhibition in the Cultuurcentrum (Cultural Centre), Christophe Mourthé finally seals the pact he made with Belgium to stop in Knokke-Heist at some point, to experience the light there, breathe in the spring wind and to caress the sea air. He was succeeded to David Bailey, Helmut Newton and Sam Levin.
His last exposition in 2006 at Musée de l’Erotisme in Paris was very great success.
All the famous girls of all around the world take the plane to shoot with Chrijstophe Mourthé in his famous studio. Dita Von Teese was one the first to be famous in Europe. He has help her a lot to be famous in France with all his publications of the very beautiful work they have done together.
Aria Giovanni, Emily Marilyn or Kyla Cole were very good fans of his work.
As Dita Von Teese, the famous model Zdenka Novotna is his muse since 10 years already.
All the web star used to built their image and call Christophe to become a Mourthé’s girl…
“Women come to see me to share my world and give me their best fantasies, for love, for seduction to help their new pictures about themselves and for their fans. I get their secrets and they like to give me some love to have the best pictures. I try to do the best to help them and I think they like that…”
