The renowned Italian photographer and publicist Oliviero Toscani, famous for his provocative campaigns for the Italian fashion brand Benetton, died today at the age of 82 due to a rare disease called amyloidosis.
Tuscany revolutionized advertising by addressing controversial social issues through powerful images that generated both admiration and controversy.
Human hearts labeled by race
One of Toscani’s first campaigns for Bennetton already made it clear that the audacity It was one of the lines that the photographer had chosen to be the flagship of the brand’s advertising. In it they appeared three human hearts marked with labels ‘white’, ‘black’ and ‘yellow’. It was his way of denouncing racism in a visual and impactful way.
Nun kissing a priest
This image showed a nun and a priest kissing on the mouth, which caused quite a stir. The image that He directly challenged the Catholic Church.
Dying AIDS patient
Without a doubt, one of Toscani’s most controversial campaigns. In 1992 he used the photography of David Kirbyan AIDS activist on his deathbed, to raise awareness about the disease, which was highly stigmatized at that time.
Bloody uniform of a Bosnian soldier
In full Bosnian warToscani showed a soldier’s bloodied and bullet-riddled uniform, highlighting the horrors of the conflict.
Prisoners sentenced to death
Toscani portrayed detainees on death row in the United States, using their stories as a plea against capital punishment. The controversy generated by this campaign was so intense that it caused a temporary rift between the photographer and Benetton.
Anorexia
Image from the exhibition ‘Oliviero Toscani, more than 50 years of magnificent failures’
In her quest to expose the devastating effects of society’s imposed beauty standards, Toscani used the image by Isabelle Caroa French model who struggled with severe anorexia. The shocking photograph showed Caro’s extremely thin body, accompanied by the slogan “No Anorexia.” Although it sought to raise awareness, the campaign was accused of exploit personal suffering for advertising purposes, which generated a global debate about ethics and limits in advertising.
‘Unhate’ and the kiss of world leaders
The “Unhate” campaign promoted global tolerance and understanding between nations through symbolic images: world leaders kissing passionately. Among the montages, the Pope Benedict XVI with an Egyptian imam and Barack Obama with Hugo Chávez. These provocative scenes sparked both applause for their inclusive message and indignation on the part of those represented, triggering legal lawsuits and public condemnations.
Oliviero Toscani’s ability to make people uncomfortable and question what was established made him a unique figure. As he himself stated, “photography doesn’t change the world, but it can make you question what you see.”
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