Michel Comte On Sale

From humanitarian assignments in war-torn countries to photoshoots with some of the world’s most prominent people and brands, Michel Comte is a celebrated contemporary magazine and fashion photographer who has worked all over the globe. 

Collaborating with the likes of Vogue Italia, l'Uomo Vogue, Vanity Fair and Interview didn’t happen instantly for Comte. Born and raised in Zurich, Switzerland, the photographer began his career in art restoration, working on pieces by Andy Warhol and Yves Klein until 1979, when he secured his first assignment from fashion industry legend Karl Lagerfeld for French luxury house Chloé. Later, Lagerfeld arranged for Comte to work with Chanel, and from there, the photographer built relationships with numerous brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, Gianfranco Ferre, Ferrari, Hennessy, Hermès, Lancôme, Jaguar and more.

Comte worked on photoshoots with many celebrities and public figures such as Mike Tyson, Miles Davis, Sofia Coppola, Elijah Wood, Tina Turner and others.

While keeping busy with shoots, Comte also found time to set up his own humanitarian organization and established successful fundraising efforts with the International Red Cross that focused on supplying clean water to countries in need.

As a passionate mountain climber, Comte became intimately aware of global warming and has worked for decades to increase public awareness relating to climate change. Comte scaled mountains by air and foot to photograph the changes in ice caps — often returning to the same locations all over the world in order to document the disappearing ice.

Comte has exhibited internationally at institutions such as the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, the Kunst Haus Wien in Austria, the Verona Centro Internazionale di Fotografia and Munich Pinakothek der Moderne. 

Find authentic Michel Comte photography on 1stDibs.

Used to refer to a time rather than an aesthetic, Contemporary art generally describes pieces created after 1970 or being made by living artists anywhere in the world. This immediacy means it encompasses art responding to the present moment through diverse subjects, media and themes. Contemporary painting, sculpture, photography, performance, digital art, video and more frequently includes work that is attempting to reshape current ideas about what art can be, from Felix Gonzalez-Torres’s use of candy to memorialize a lover he lost to AIDS-related complications to Jenny Holzer’s ongoing “Truisms,” a Conceptual series that sees provocative messages printed on billboards, T-shirts, benches and other public places that exist outside of formal exhibitions and the conventional “white cube” of galleries.

Contemporary art has been pushing the boundaries of creative expression for years. Its disruption of the traditional concepts of art are often aiming to engage viewers in complex questions about identity, society and culture. In the latter part of the 20th century, contemporary movements included Land art, in which artists like Robert Smithson and Michael Heizer create large-scale, site-specific sculptures, installations and other works in soil and bodies of water; Sound art, with artists such as Christian Marclay and Susan Philipsz centering art on sonic experiences; and New Media art, in which mass media and digital culture inform the work of artists such as Nam June Paik and Rafaël Rozendaal.

The first decades of the 21st century have seen the growth of Contemporary African art, the revival of figurative painting, the emergence of street art and the rise of NFTs, unique digital artworks that are powered by blockchain technology.

Major Contemporary artists practicing now include Ai Weiwei, Cecily Brown, David Hockney, Yayoi Kusama, Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami and Kara Walker.

Find a collection of Contemporary prints, photography, paintings, sculptures and other art on 1stDibs.

Life becomes art in figurative photography. Shared moments are captured and history is recorded in images of people and their lives.

Figurative photography is often used to describe a kind of photography in which people are the subject. Early black and white photography of people can be a glimpse into a past century — witness the celebrated work of photographers such as Ansel Adams or lesser-known artists like Berenice Abbott, for example. The cultural and social standards of the time are captured in these figurative photographs.

Mid-century photos might show the life and fashions of the day, sometimes with the shared thread of humanity, joy and love. Indeed, figurative photographs can be a source of inspiration and wonder, speaking of common life experiences and beauty. Vintage photos of celebrities and iconic actors can be valuable keepsakes as snapshots of a bygone era.

Just as if you were bringing paintings, prints or drawings into your space as part of the decor, there are many ways to arrange your figurative photography. Large photos can be statement pieces in a room. Smaller photographs can be placed on bookcases or on compact wall spaces to add an artistic element to a living room or a bedroom.

Find a collection of figurative photography on 1stDibs today.