John Deakin, the photographer who despised photography

published in photography by seven on May 30 2007 11:38 AM

Photography Photos John Deakin Portrait

He wanted to be a painter; he despised photography so much he didn't consider it an art. In spite of that, John Deakin became a photographer. The reasons behind his choice of profession are, to this day, unkown; he never revealed them, and even if he had, they wouldn't have been given much credit: you see, Deakin was refined liar. He was also an alcoholic, a cad, a slanderer and an arrogant. He respected nothing and nobody.

He even got to work at Vogue magazine where he was hated by his colleagues and employers: he isn't capable of taking a good picture of a good-looking woman, they'd say. During the photo sessions, he was frequently drunk and he treated the models so brazenly, he often put them in tears! He died in 1972, ruined and forgotten, when he got so drunk after a successful lung operation, he had a cardiac arrest...

Photography Photos John Deakin Portrait

His work was only rescued a few years after his death. Many photographs had been hidden, some destroyed, by the photographer himself. Painter Francis Bacon, who socialized with him and was often photographed by him, actually used some of Deakin's photos in his work. Regardless of his eccentric personality, his work is unique and interesting: his photos are realist, raw and direct. They stand for something one doesn't often see in fashion magazines.

Photography Photos John Deakin Portrait