fOR THE FIRST TIME IN SPAIN, THE MUSEO THYSSEN-BORNEMISZA IS PRESENTING THE WORK OF PERUVIAN PHOTOGRAPHER MARIO TESTINO. THE EXHIBITION TODO A NADA BRINGS TOGETHER 54 PHOTOGRAPHS THAT REVEAL THE TWO OPPOSING CONCEPTS TO BE FOUND IN HIS WORK; FASHION AND THE NUDE. THESE CONCEPTS ARE PRESENT BOTH IN HIS BETTER KNOWN ACTIVITIES AS A FASHION PHOTOGRAPHER, INCLUDING THE IMAGES THAT HE CREATED FOR VOGUE, VANITY FAIR, V MAGAZINE, ALLURE AND THE FACE, AS WELL AS IN HIS MORE PERSONAL CREATIONS, INCLUDING A NUMBER OF UNPUBLISHED PHOTOGRAPHS SPECIALLY TAKEN FOR THIS EXHIBITION. FOR MARIO TESTINO, THE ESSENCE OF THE EXHIBITION LIES IN CONTEMPLATING THE PROCESS AND IMPLICATIONS INVOLVED IN THE ACT OF REMOVING ONE'S CLOTHES TO BECOME NAKED: 'A VOYAGE FROM HAUTE COUTURE TO NUDITY, INCLUDING THE INTERMEDIARY PROCESS THAT IMPLIES BARING THE FORM.' IN THIS SENSE, THE EXHIBITION INCLUDES PHOTOGRAPHS IN WHICH THE MODEL WEARS EXTRAVAGANT DRESSES, ENVELOPED IN A SETTING SPECIFICALLY CREATED FOR THE SHOT AND CHARACTERIZED BY THE DELIBERATE DESIRE FOR THEATRICALITY, AS WELL AS OTHERS IN WHICH SHE IS SEEN UNCLOTHED, CLEARLY REFERRING TO FAMOUS IMAGES OF SPANISH ART SUCH AS GOYA'S MAJAS. THE EXHIBITION ALSO EXAMINES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PHOTOGRAPHER AND HIS MODELS, WHO ARE ALWAYS WOMEN, FROM THE GLAMOR OF TOP MODELS, EITHER NUDE OR WEARING HAUTE COUTURE AND ON OCCASIONS PHOTOGRAPHED WITH A TOUCH OF IRONY AND A SENSE OF HUMOR, TO PHOTOGRAPHS OF FRIENDS AND ANONYMOUS INDIVIDUALS. TODO A NADA IS AN ODE TO 'TESTINO'S WOMAN' , AN ICONIC IMAGE OF WOMAN THAT HE HAS DEFINED AND REDEFINED OVER THE COURSE OF HIS CAREER.
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