12 Quotes by Oliviero Toscani

Pictures put you in front of a reality that most of the times you don't want to see, don't want to know about, don't want to get involved.

I want a better world, but also a realistic world. We can only create a better world by becoming realistic.

I did extensive research on media and anorexia and found out that the fashion magazines are to blame in a way. They project an image of a woman that is completely absurd, but girls and women believe they should be very skinny. They don’t look like real woman anymore.

I’m a photographer and my pictures are used in advertising campaigns. But I don’t do advertising. Do you hear me? I take pictures. I’m not an advertising agency. I’m not an advertising man.

Communication, that’s what I do. Advertising is the best way to communicate because you reach a lot of people. I still cant understand though, why people are shocked by something that obviously exists. Its like a family that avoids talking about its real problems.

Communication has always been at the service of power. Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel for the Pope. Is it not an advertisement for the Church? I try to make the best pictures I can and sometimes they are used in advertising campaigns.

No matter what. I like to be different. Its not easy to work the way we want, because we have to deal with a lot of judgmental people, but we’ve always been in that position, so its nothing we cannot handle.

Women from fashion magazines, they hate other women. They like to tell other women they are ugly and often it works. Women’s magazines are mostly about the outside and not about the inside. About make-up instead of arts and literature. Its such a shame.

Pictures put you in front of a reality that most of the times you don’t want to see, don’t want to know about, don’t want to get involved.