Alberto Venzago: Taking Pictures, Making Pictures

Celebrity portraits, photojournalism and more from the legendary Swiss photographer and filmmaker

From portraits of Andy Warhol, Jean-Luc Godard and Penélope Cruz to a voodoo ceremony in Benin; from scenes within the Pentagon to Indigenous people in the rainforests of Sarawak; from geishas in Tokyo to a lone iceberg in Antarctica: Alberto Venzago (born 1950) has seemingly had half the world in front of his Leica. Taking Pictures, Making Pictures presents nearly 200 images, many previously unpublished.

Perhaps the best example of Venzago’s rare talent is his images of the Tokyo Yakuza. The result of five years’ persistence on his part, and (in Wim Wenders’ words) his “optimistic sparkling laugh,” Venzago’s images of this secret world include private New Year’s Eve celebrations and Yakuza boss Masahiro Furushio’s office. Regardless of his subjects, from the oppressed and exploited to the rich and beautiful, this comprehensive book proves Venzago’s claim that “my studio is the world.”