MICHEL COMTE "People and Places with No Name"

Michel Comte (Swiss, born November 19, 1954 in Zurich) is a professional art restorer turned photographer. In 1979, he was commissioned by Karl Lagerfeld for the fashion house Chloé and moved to Paris. In 1981, Comte moved to New York to work for American Vogue and then to Los Angeles. Comte quickly became one of the most sought-after fashion photographers in the world. The photographer's favorite subjects range from portraits to action sports to landscapes and nudes. He has photographed some of the most famous personalities in the world of music, entertainment and art, including Mike Tyson, Jeremy Irons, Julian Schnabel, Miles Davis, Joan Severance, Sophia Coppola, Elijah Wood, Daryl Hannah, Tina Turner, Branford Marsalis, Demi Moore, Sylvester Stallone and Michael Schumacher. He also works on advertising campaigns for Revlon, Mercedes Benz, Dolce & Gabbana, Armani, Nike, Lancôme, Jaguar and Ferrari. Comte turned to photojournalism and documentary work. Acting on behalf of the International Red Cross or his own organization, the Michel Comte Water Foundation, he travels to war zones in Afghanistan, Sudan, Bosnia, Cambodia and Iraq. Comte exhibits worldwide, in galleries such as the Espace de l'art contemporain in Mouans-Sartoux, the Pobeda Gallery in Moscow, the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich, the Centro Internazionale di Fotografia in Verona, the Museum für Gestaltung in Zurich, the NRW-Forum in Düsseldorf, the Axel-Springer-Passage in Berlin, the Hotel Suvretta House in St. Moritz and also for Russian Vogue. Comte's work has been published in numerous books, including Schumacher, 30 Years and 5 Minutes, People and Places with No Name and Twenty Years. He is currently represented by EL'PS' Gallery in Turkey, Kunst-Licht Gallery in China, Guy Hepner Contemporary in Los Angeles, Photographers Limited Editions in Austria and Young Gallery in Belgium. He currently lives and works in Los Angeles.