Chris von Wangenheim’s photographs of the glamour and excess of the 1970s

With chapter headings like Jet Set, Chaos and Porno Chic and photographs of the likes of Bianca Jagger and supermodel Gia Carangi, Gloss: The Work of Chris von Wangenheim , the monograph of the photographer’s work, has everything from burning cars and aggressive Doberman dogs to wind machines and copious halter-necks. Emblematic of the sexual revolution and Studio 54-era, and documenting the glamour and excess of the 1970s, his photographs strike a balance of provocative humour with challenging, sometimes harrowing narratives, drawing attention to the lives beneath the gloss of the era.

Having moved from Berlin to New York in 1965 to pursue a career in photography, which swiftly led to his shooting for American Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Interview and Playboy , Chris von Wangenheim’s photographs captured a period of sassy realness.