Photography

The Visionary Behind Depeche Mode and U2’s Iconic Imagery

Anton Corbijn: The Dutch Artist Who Shaped the Visual Aesthetic of Rock and Pop

9 September 2024249 Views

Photography is a reality so subtle that it becomes more real than reality.
Alfred Stieglitz

Overview: Anton Johannes Gerrit Corbijn van Willenswaard, born in 1955, is a renowned Dutch photographer, music video director, and film director. Corbijn is best known for his long-standing collaborations with Depeche Mode and U2, serving as the creative force behind much of their visual content, including promotional materials and album sleeve photography over the past three decades.

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Early Career: Corbijn began his career in music photography in 1975 when he captured Dutch musician Herman Brood performing in a café in Groningen. His photos of Herman Brood & His Wild Romance significantly boosted the band’s fame and established Corbijn’s reputation. By the late 1970s, his work was regularly featured in the London-based New Musical Express (NME), often gracing the front pages.

Photographic Style and Projects: Initially known for his black-and-white photography, Corbijn ventured into color photography in 1989, starting with images of Siouxsie Sioux. He collaborated with painter Marlene Dumas on the project “Stripping Girls” between 1998–2000, exploring the strip clubs of Amsterdam through different mediums—photographs by Corbijn and Polaroid-based paintings by Dumas.

Corbijn has photographed numerous iconic figures, including Bob Dylan, Joy Division, Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen, Miles Davis, Björk, Robert De Niro, Stephen Hawking, and many more. His most notable relationships are with Depeche Mode and U2, for whom he has directed numerous music videos and designed many of their album covers since 1990.

Music Video and Film Direction: Corbijn’s career in music video direction began with the band Palais Schaumburg, leading to work with Propaganda and eventually artists such as David Sylvian, Echo & the Bunnymen, Golden Earring, Depeche Mode, Roxette, and U2. His first color video was U2’s “Pride” in 1984.

He made his film debut with “Control” (2007), a biopic about Joy Division’s Ian Curtis, which won multiple awards, including at the Cannes Film Festival and the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Corbijn continued his film career with “The American” (2010), starring George Clooney, and “A Most Wanted Man” (2014), based on John le Carré’s novel.

Notable Works:

Music videos for Depeche Mode (“Enjoy the Silence”), U2 (“One”), Bryan Adams (“Do I Have to Say the Words?”), Nirvana (“Heart-Shaped Box”), and Coldplay (“Viva la Vida”).
Films: “Control” (2007), “The American” (2010), “A Most Wanted Man” (2014), and the upcoming “Life” (2014), about James Dean and photographer Dennis Stock.

Corbijn’s distinctive visual style has made a lasting impact on music and film, making him one of the most influential visual artists in contemporary popular culture.

© 2025. All content on this magazine is protected by international copyright laws All images are copyrighted © by Anton Corbijn or assignee. Apart from fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, the use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained. All images used for illustrative purposes only