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Gérard Uféras Figurative Photography

French, b. 1954

Through his camera lens, photographer Gérard Uféras offers a rarified backstage pass to the world’s top operas, ballets and fashion shows. Described as a storyteller and magician, Uféras shoots contemporary, figurative photographs that evoke sensuality, mystery, elegance and grace, with a rich sense of humanism. 

Born in Paris, in 1954, Uféras was introduced to photography at the tender age of eight, when he began using his father’s cameras. At 11 years old, he was a regular visitor to Paris’s museums, soaking in all aspects of the arts, culture and history. 

Although Uféras’s passion for photography began at an early age, it wasn’t until he was 28 — when he was working in a retail shop selling jeans — that he decided to pursue it as a professional career. “I simply didn’t know what I was doing with my life,” he has said. “For a few years at that point, I had a job that didn’t bring me any joy. . . . I realized that if I don’t do something to change my life, I will die working in that shop, so it was really a ‘matter of life’ decision.”

Despite being largely self-taught, Uféras’s natural photographic talent soon caught the eyes of French newspaper editors. He began his career as a photojournalist in 1984, working for the daily Libération, and in 1986, he became a founding member of the VU photo agency. Then, in 1988, Uféras’s watershed moment came when he was invited backstage to photograph at The Palais Garnier. Since then, he has captured stunning portraits and still-lifes at opera houses and ballet performances across Europe.

Similarly, Uféras has been given carte-blanche access to major fashion houses such as Givenchy and Dior, resulting in beautifully shot, candid photographs of unposed models. 

Throughout his career, Uféras’s black-and-white and color photographs have been featured in numerous international publications, including Le Monde, the New York Times, Beaux Arts magazine, Paris Match and L’Express. His works are in the collections in several major museums, such as The National Gallery in London, the Musée de l’Elysée (Photo Elysée) in Lausanne, the Multimedia Art Museum in Moscow and the Maison Européenne de la Photographie and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France in Paris. 

On 1stDibs, find a range of Gérard Uféras photography.

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Artist: Gérard Uféras
Bolshoi, Corps de Ballet, Fine Art Photography, 2011
By Gérard Uféras
Located in Vienna, AT
Corps de Ballet photographed by Gerard Uferas. Available in multiple sizes. All prints are limited edition. High-end framing on request. All prints are done and singed by the arti...
Category

Late 20th Century Contemporary Gérard Uféras Figurative Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Dior, Haute Couture, Fine Art Photography
By Gérard Uféras
Located in Vienna, AT
Model in a haute couture gown photographed by Gerard Uferas. Available in multiple sizes. All prints are limited edition. High-end framing on request. All prints are done and singed by the artist. The collector receives an additional certificate of authenticity from the gallery. This Gérard Uféras photograph, titled Dior Haute Couture, captures an intimate and cinematic backstage moment during a high-fashion couture show. The black-and-white composition highlights the stark contrast between the ethereal beauty of haute couture and the raw, behind-the-scenes reality of a fashion show’s preparation. At the center of the frame, a model sits gracefully in a voluminous, multi-layered tulle gown, her silhouette evoking a sense of romantic elegance and fragility. The intricate ruffles of the dress spread around her, resembling a blooming flower or a delicate cloud, emphasizing the artistry of Dior’s couture craftsmanship. Her poised, serene expression stands in contrast to the bustling activity in the background, where assistants, designers, and other models can be seen preparing for the grand event...
Category

Late 20th Century Contemporary Gérard Uféras Figurative Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, Spain, Fine Art Photography, 1992
By Gérard Uféras
Located in Vienna, AT
The Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, Spain photographed by Gérard Uféras backstage for the Phantom of the Opera in 1992. All prints are limited edition. Available in multiple sizes...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Gérard Uféras Figurative Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Heart Art - Heart Shaped Cloud, Fine Art Photography
By Gérard Uféras
Located in Vienna, AT
Closeup of two hands holding a floating heart made of clouds photographed by Gérard Uféras. All prints are limited edition. Available in multiple sizes. High-end framing on request....
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Gérard Uféras Figurative Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Thierry Mugler, Haute Couture, Automne-Hiver - Fine Art Photography, 1999
By Gérard Uféras
Located in Vienna, AT
Closeup to a Model's Chest in Thierry Mugler Haute Cotoure, photographed by Gérard Uféras in 1999. All prints are limited edition. Available in mu...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Gérard Uféras Figurative Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Paco Rabanne Haute Couture Runway. automne-hiver - Fine Art Photography, 1999
By Gérard Uféras
Located in Vienna, AT
Closeup to a Model's Legs on the Runway in a Sequin Dress by Paco Rabanne Haute Cotoure, photographed by Gérard Uféras in 1999. All prints are limited edition. Available in multiple...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Gérard Uféras Figurative Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Christian Lacroix, haute couture, printemps-été - Fine Art Photography, 1999
By Gérard Uféras
Located in Vienna, AT
Closeup to a Model's Back in a low cut Dress, backstage at the Christian Lacroix Haute Couture Fashion Show in Paris, photographed by Gérard Uféras in 1999. All prints are limited e...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Gérard Uféras Figurative Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Christian Dior Haute Couture, 30th Avenue Montaigne - Fine Art Photography, 2000
By Gérard Uféras
Located in Vienna, AT
Closeup to a Models Chest wearing a transparent blouse with needles marking adjustments, photographed by Gérard Uféras at the Dior Atelier. All prints are limited edition. Available...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Gérard Uféras Figurative Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Elisa Jimenez, Ready to Wear 2000, NY, Black-and-white Photo of Woman on Bar
By Gérard Uféras
Located in Vienna, AT
Woman in a white dress lying on a wooden bar, photographed by Gérard Uféras for Elisa Jimenez Ready to wear in 2000. Available in multiple sizes. All prints are limited edition—high-end framing is available upon request. All prints are done and signed by the artist. The collector receives an additional certificate of authenticity from the gallery. A woman in a transparent white dress with a ruffled seam down the back is lying on a wooden bar. Bottles of alcoholic beverages are visible behind her, and a mirror behind the bar reflects the bar's interior without giving away the photographer. The train of the dress is draped over the wooden counter. True to his visual language, Gérard Uféra doesn't just photograph a dress; he stages it in an intimate and surreal scene. The image's grainy and high-contrast black-and-white tones add a nostalgic and dreamlike touch. Daring women, teint de porcelaine and delicate tracings in silver; the French star photographer Gérard Uféras creates masterpieces radiant with a certain je-ne-sais-quoi. Moving the noise of everyday life into the background for a moment, his works are aesthetic oases for the senses. Curving down an exposed back, delineating delicate lines, or an ephemeral smile: Uféras is the connoisseur of fashion and ballet photography...
Category

1990s Contemporary Gérard Uféras Figurative Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Pierre Balmain Haute Couture
By Gérard Uféras
Located in Vienna, AT
Available in multiple sizes. All prints are limited edition. High-end framing on request. All prints are done and singed by the artist. The collector receives an additional certificate of authenticity from the gallery. Gérard Uféras has an eye for details and his backstage fashion photographs are the proof. Zooming in on small gestures, ruffled skirts, and silly poses, the star photographer lets us in on a never-before-seen side of haute couture. Daring women, teint de porcelaine and delicate tracings in silver; the French star photographer Gérard Uféras creates masterpieces radiant with a certain je-ne-sais-quoi. Moving the noise of everyday life into the background for a moment, his works are aesthetic oases for the senses. Curving down an exposed back, delineating delicate lines, or an ephemeral smile: Uféras is the connoisseur of fashion and ballet photography...
Category

1990s Contemporary Gérard Uféras Figurative Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Piano Legs, Teatro Alla Scala Ballet Company - Ballet Shoes under a piano
By Gérard Uféras
Located in Vienna, AT
Available in multiple sizes. All prints are limited edition. High-end framing on request. All prints are done and singed by the artist. The collector receives an additional certificate of authenticity from the gallery. Gérard Uféras has an eye for details and his backstage photographs are the proof. Zooming in on small gestures, ruffled skirts, and silly poses, the star photographer lets us in on a never-before-seen side of theatre and the arts. Daring women, teint de porcelaine and delicate tracings in silver; the French star photographer Gérard Uféras creates masterpieces radiant with a certain je-ne-sais-quoi. Moving the noise of everyday life into the background for a moment, his works are aesthetic oases for the senses. Curving down an exposed back, delineating delicate lines, or an ephemeral smile: Uféras is the connoisseur of fashion and ballet photography...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Gérard Uféras Figurative Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Christian Lacroix Haute Couture - Models backstage
By Gérard Uféras
Located in Vienna, AT
Other sizes and price on request. PREISS FINE ARTS is one of the world’s leading galleries for fine art photography representing the most famous contemporary artists. Gerard Uferas...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Gérard Uféras Figurative Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Chanel Haute Couture Paris - models behind the scenes of the haute cuture party
By Gérard Uféras
Located in Vienna, AT
Other sizes and high-end frame on request. Preiss Fine Arts is one of the leading galleries for fine art photography worldwide representing only the worlds most famous photographers...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Gérard Uféras Figurative Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Alexandra Cardinale - dancing ballerina in museum in blue dress
By Gérard Uféras
Located in Vienna, AT
Other sizes and high end framing on request. PREISS FINE ARTS is one of the world’s leading galleries for fine art photography representing the most famous contemporary artists. Gerard Uferas...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Gérard Uféras Figurative Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Jean-Paul Gaultier Haute Couture printemps été 2000, Paris - model mirror
By Gérard Uféras
Located in Vienna, AT
Other sizes and high end framing on request. PREISS FINE ARTS is one of the world’s leading galleries for fine art photography representing the most famous contemporary artists. Ge...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Gérard Uféras Figurative Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

'Elie Saab Haute Couture' - three models in gowns, fine art photography, 2007
By Gérard Uféras
Located in Vienna, AT
All prints are limited edition. Available in multiple sizes. High-end framing on request. All prints are done and signed by the artist. The collector receives an additional certifi...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Gérard Uféras Figurative Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Orphée et Eurydice de Pina Bausch, Paris
By Gérard Uféras
Located in Vienna, AT
Other sizes and high end framing on request. PREISS FINE ARTS is one of the world’s leading galleries for fine art photography representing the most famous contemporary artists. Gerard Uferas...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Gérard Uféras Figurative Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Abraham Pelham Haute Couture - Model in white shirt, fine art photography, 1999
By Gérard Uféras
Located in Vienna, AT
All prints are limited edition. Available in multiple sizes. High-end framing on request. All prints are done and signed by the artist. The collector receives an additional certificate of authenticity from the gallery. Gérard Uféras takes us backstage to catch a glimpse of how the magic of high fashion is made. We get to see models changing, final touches on their dresses and the titillating moments before entering the runway. Uféras’ work is an ode to the people who make, perfect, and bring fashion to life. This beautiful black and white fine art print is a closeup of a model's Chest. She is wearing a stiff white blouse with a deep V-neck. Another Person is adjusting the shirt collar, only their hands are visible in the shot. The chaos of clothing racks, models and tailors backstage of a fashion show is visible in the blurry background, creating an intriguing and somewhat abstract image. Daring women, teint de porcelaine and delicate tracings in silver; the French star photographer Gérard Uféras creates masterpieces radiant with a certain je-ne-sais-quoi. Moving the noise of everyday life into the background for a moment, his works are aesthetic oases for the senses. Curving down an exposed back, delineating delicate lines, or an ephemeral smile: Uféras is the connoisseur of fashion and ballet photography...
Category

1990s Contemporary Gérard Uféras Figurative Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow, Russia - ballet girl dancing b&w photo
By Gérard Uféras
Located in Vienna, AT
Other sizes and high end framing on request. PREISS FINE ARTS is one of the world’s leading galleries for fine art photography representing the most famous contemporary artists. Ge...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Gérard Uféras Figurative Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Christian Lacroix Haute Couture - models backstage showing legs, shoes, dresses
By Gérard Uféras
Located in Vienna, AT
Other sizes and high end framing on request. PREISS FINE ARTS is one of the world’s leading galleries for fine art photography representing the most famous contemporary artists. Ge...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Gérard Uféras Figurative Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Theatre royal de la Monnaie, Brussels, Belgium - musican playing the double bass
By Gérard Uféras
Located in Vienna, AT
Other sizes and high end framing on request. PREISS FINE ARTS is one of the world’s leading galleries for fine art photography representing the most famous contemporary artists. Ge...
Category

1990s Contemporary Gérard Uféras Figurative Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Ballet de l'Opera National de Paris - Lucie Mateci dancer in the opera
By Gérard Uféras
Located in Vienna, AT
One dancing ballerina in a bright classical tutu in the large and richly embroidered opera hall - a wonderful scene that emphasises her elegant pose against the dark and decorated ar...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Gérard Uféras Figurative Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Gianfranco Ferre Pret a Porter, Milan - model in a romantic dress with a rose
By Gérard Uféras
Located in Vienna, AT
'Gianfranco Ferre Pret a Porter, Milan' gives the view of a model in a romantic dress from behind. The back of the dress is covered with a white rose an...
Category

1990s Contemporary Gérard Uféras Figurative Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

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Gérard Uféras figurative photography for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Gérard Uféras figurative photography available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Gérard Uféras in archival pigment print, pigment print, silver gelatin print and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Gérard Uféras figurative photography, so small editions measuring 32 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Anouk Krantz, Jean-Luc Fievet, and Patrick Chelli.

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