Albert Watson has shot the 2019 Pirelli calendar, the Scottish photographer’s studio announced on its Instagram account.
A versatile commercial and editorial photographer, Watson has produced 100 Vogue covers, ad campaigns for the likes of Prada and Chanel, and film posters for “Kill Bill” and “Memoirs of a Geisha.” As a portraitist, he’s captured world-renowned faces across industries, from Steve Jobs and Tupac to Andy Warhol and Kate Moss.
“(The Pirelli calendar) is one of the greatest commissions you can get as a photographer and therefore (it was) a great honor to be asked,” Watson told CNN in an email. “It was a lot of work and I am very proud of the results.”
At this point, few details have been revealed about the calendar itself, including who will be in it or what the theme will be, but Pirelli has said the calendar was shot across the US in April.
Albert Watson's refined portraiture
In a promotional posted by Pirelli, Watson hinted at his motivation for the project: “I wanted to make sure that I approached this in a different way to the other photographers, exploring the women with the sense of inquiry to create a situation important for 2019,” he said.
“If you remember anything from the 2019 calendar, remember they’re out to do pure photography. Nothing else.”
The Pirelli calendar was first published in 1963 as a promotional tool for the Italian tire company. While it was initially known for titillation, in recent years the calendar has moved away from its raunchier roots.
For 2018, British photographer Tim Walker unveiled an all-black calendar, and for the 2017 and 2016 calendars respectively, Peter Lindbergh and Annie Leibovitz celebrated a star-studded cast of women’s achievements and natural beauty.
The 2019 Pirelli calendar will be unveiled later this year.