Who would have thought that one of the world’s most famous erotic calendars would show 74-year-old Iggy Pop? On the other hand, who says that isn’t a valid sexual fantasy too? There are, for example, erotic calendars in which young naked women hold large carp into the camera. There are calendars that only show pooping cats.
Until a few years ago, the Pirelli calendar was a calendar full of half-naked women. Published intermittently by the tire manufacturer Pirelli since 1964, it is not sold but distributed to celebrities and selected customers. He has a reputation for only working with the best photographers and models. Sarah Moon, Annie Leibovitz, Helmut Newton, Richard Avedon and Steven Meisel, among others, have photographed for him. “The Cal” wants to be more than just a bundle of erotic photographs.
74-year-old Iggy Pop in front of the camera.
(Photo: From the backstage of the 2022 Pirelli Calendar by Bryan Adams, photos by Alessandro Scotti Pirelli Calendar 2022)
He sees it as his job to capture the zeitgeist. In 2016, Annie Leibovitz captured pictures of Yoko Ono, Serena Williams and Patti Smith – all largely dressed for the first time. In 2018, Tim Walker’s calendar had an all-black cast. For the next edition of the calendar, none other than Bryan Adams got down to work. Adams is best known as a musician, but also works as a photographer. In his long career he has photographed Amy Winehouse and the Queen, among others. (He reports that he was given five minutes to take the photos of the Queen.)
Why not even Iggy with a carp?
In his edition of the Pirelli calendar, the main theme is music. It’s called “On The Road” and shows world stars like Iggy Pop, Kali Uchis, Cher, Grimes and Saweetie. Adams photographed them as if they were on tour. “Because of Covid, it was obvious that no one was working,” he said. “All the musicians around the world had stalled, so I suggested Pirelli do a report ‘on the road’ because that was the only thing we couldn’t do.” But it’s not just stage scenes – Adams also wants to show the loneliness and exhaustion that come with touring.
Saweetie shows her passport, Rita Ora poses in a bathtub. He staged his motifs in the Palace Theater, in the Chateau Marmont and on Capri in the La Scalinatella Hotel. Times change. And if the Pirelli calendar wants to reflect the spirit of the times, there is still a great deal of leeway. Why not even Iggy with a carp? Or Rita Ora in a bathtub – well. As long as the time itself goes on and the days, weeks and months follow one another, the possibilities are endless.