Natalie Curtis is a photographer, daughter of Ian Curtis, frontman of the legendary British band Joy Division. How does she feel about the legacy of the musician, and did her father's work influence her own career?
Family
Natalie was born in 1979 in the English city of Macclesfield. Parents are musician Ian Curtis and his wife Deborah. They dated as teenagers and married in 1975.
In 1976, Curtis joined the band Joy Division, became the frontman and songwriter. Their music was a great success with critics and fans. An intense creative life undermined Curtis's poor he alth. He was diagnosed with epilepsy, and over time, seizures became more frequent. The drugs caused side effects in the form of sudden mood swings. In 1980, 23-year-old Curtis, suffering from depression, hanged himself at his home in Macclesfield.
Early years
The widow and daughter of Ian Curtis after his death did not attract the attention of the press. In 1982, Deborah remarried and had a son.
Ian Curtis' daughter Natalie Curtis onthe time of his death was 1 year. The mother first told the girl about her father, a musician, when she was about 3 years old. Little Natalie took the information for granted and for many years did not consider Ian a cult figure. Understanding the creativity of Joy Division came to a girl in her teens.
In the 1980s, Natalie discovered photo shoots of Ian and his band that were published in music magazines. Pictures taken by Kevin Cummins and Anton Corbijn during rehearsals for Joy Division influenced the creative thinking of Ian Curtis' daughter. Natalie Curtis decided to become a photographer.
Creative biography
Natalie started photography at the age of 4 using her grandmother's camera. After graduating from school, the musician's daughter studied the art of artists at Mecclesfield College. She then completed her bachelor's degree at the University of Manchester School of Art, becoming a certified photographer.
In 2006, twenty-seven-year-old Natalie Curtis attended the filming of Control, a feature film about her father. The script for the film was based on a book of memoirs by Deborah Curtis. At first, Natalie didn't want to have anything to do with the depiction of Ian's life and death on screen, but curiosity got the better of her. The musician's daughter took part in the filming process and made portraits of Sam Riley and Samantha Morton, who played her parents. Photos were presented at Natalie's exhibitions in France and Belgium, organized with the support of the producers of "Control".
From the beginning of his career, Curtis collaborates with English music labels and creates photo shoots of musicians. In 2009 she was nominated for the Manchester Photographer of the Year Award for her work with British bands Doves and Silversun Pickups.
In 2016, Natalie Curtis' book Vapors was published. This is a collection of the photographer's early work, taken at home in England and during trips to the US and Spain.
Natalie today
Ian Curtis' daughter lives in Manchester and continues her photography career.
She calls her style "calm, disciplined and unexpected." Curtis uses a film camera and then processes the pictures on a computer.
Natalie considers real life her main source of inspiration. Most often, residents of Manchester, native Macclesfield and musicians related to friendly production labels such as SWAY Records fall into her lens. Curtis creates studio photo shoots of artists and participates in the creation of their album covers.
Natalie is calm about questions about her famous father. She justifies Ian's suicide and sees the cause of the tragedy in the grave mental state of the musician. Curtis' daughter does not use a big name to draw attention to her own career. She acknowledges the significant influence that Joy Division's music and photography has had on her, but prefers to go her own way in art.
