It’s 1995. The music industry is cash rich. Creators and their work become popular through offline word of mouth and people hanging out in the world. Björk is not yet a superstar but very soon will be. Genuine weirdness and individuality is celebrated in pop culture. Freaks can be freaks. Art feels like art. This is the year that Spike Jonze and Björk first met and collaborated.
We all remember beginnings and endings more vividly than everything that came in between. That’s just as true of Spike Jonze’s relationship with Björk. Jonze had already been booked to shoot a music video for her. In the interim, he was asked by a magazine to photograph her at the legendary Los Angeles hotel, the Chateau Marmont. Only a few photos from that magical occasion ever saw the light of day. These unseen photographs are now on display in the pages of a new zine and accompanying exhibition, curated by Jonze’s dear friend, designer and creative director Humberto Leon, in collaboration with WeTransfer.
Along with the exclusive shots of Björk, in the zine you’ll find a conversation between Jonze and Leon about that shoot and the subsequent music video shoot for “It’s Oh So Quiet.” Jonze recalls small behind-the-scenes moments from creating with the musician and reflects on why their relationship was special enough for them to stay in touch for the following 30 years.
