The fact that a dabbler in the Casino business placed his bets right is one way to look at President-elect Trump’s victory. Another is in “The Art of the Photo.” For a society consumed by social media – not regular media, America has placed a Model and a Lion into our most cherished office.
Melania Trump met Donald during her modeling career. Photographer Antoine Verglas narrowed his subject into a few poses. These photos would pay homage to art history while becoming a part of American history. Marilyn Monroe was once Norma Jean as she “floated” on Tom Kelleys red velvet background for Playboy. President Kennedy would ultimately be ensnarled in and with her beauty. French President Nicolas Sarkozy found his vice with his elegant wife, Carla Bruni. In 1993, seven years before Knauss, Bruni’s modeling career produced an elegant shoot with Michel Comte. In the tradition, photography and photographers take their insight from others. Fine art does this as a way of visual dialogue.
The nude photographs of Melania Knauss, a 25 year-old, eager to make it big – in America no less – bared it all. She did so because of what fashion and modeling allow. She did so as instructed by a photographer, in this lucky case, Antoine Verglas. Verglas paid homage to Comte. The noise around Knauss’ images has been generated from publications and a system that seeks the extreme. Domestically the press attempted to make her images as another reason to avoid the Trump-Pence ticket. Of course, the New York Post is not the bastion of wisdom that other publications purport. Overseas, GQ – Britain found a way to make Melania the classic tabloid fodder from her rather tasteful photographs, albeit geared toward a younger male.
The photograph that has now given America our presidential place for fashion progressiveness is likely one that others will mock for years to come.
