Janes Blog: Lady Gaga Calls Terry Richardson Book 'Completely Unfiltered'

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Lady Gaga Calls Terry Richardson Book 'Completely Unfiltered'

'I didn't hold anything back,' Gaga tells MTV News about upcoming photo book.
By James Montgomery

Lady Gaga
Photo: MTV News

Late last month, Lady Gaga announced she was teaming with photographer/provocateur Terry Richardson to release a hefty coffee-table book, one that features more than 350 photos of the singer taken by Richardson over the course of 10 months.

The two have worked together — with appropriately pulse-quickening results — several times in the past, most notably a September 2010 cover shoot for Vogue Hommes Japan that served as a sneak peek of the now-infamous meat dress she wore to the 2010 VMAs, and a clothing-optional campaign for Supreme in February 2011.

But if you thought those shots were shocking, well, get ready for the duo's book, which, as Gaga told MTV News on Monday night in New York, will push things even further.

"Terry was with me for [almost] a whole year, and, gosh, I didn't hold anything back from Terry ... he was with me every minute, every moment," she said. "It's completely unfiltered. He has photographs of me waking up in the morning, brushing my teeth, in the bathroom, in the bathtub, the shower. And the thing about Terry, if you know anything about his photography, is that nothing is staged; I mean, that's sort of what he is renowned for. He can get you to do things and he can capture things that no one can ever capture.

"What I love so much about Terry is that he thinks everything is so beautiful. I'm always, 'Oh Terry, get out of here,' and he's like, 'Oh, it's so beautiful, let me just shoot it,' " she continued. "I felt so comfortable with Terry. I love him so much. He's a really close friend, and I feel really honored that he traveled [with me]."

Gaga said the self-titled book (which hits stores November 22) not only showcases her whirlwind life — it follows her from the main stage of Lollapalooza to her Maine rally to repeal "don't ask, don't tell" to the final shows of her Monster Ball Tour in Mexico City — but the lives of her ultra-dedicated fans too. That was as much a goal as the unfettered access was. And, from the sound of things, the book manages to accomplish both.

"My favorite thing, honestly, is that [Richardson] loved the fans. He shot the fans the same way he shot me: with no pretense. No 'Well, she's put out records and they haven't.' None of that. The music was all of ours," she said. "He would come backstage and he would say, 'Oh my God, the fans!' And I'd say, 'I know ... I know what you just photographed.' And he'd say, 'Baby, wow!' And then he'd film me, like, peeing in a cup and, like, ridiculous things."

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