Natalie Curtis is a photographer, daughter of the frontman of the legendary British group Joy Division, Ian Curtis. How does she feel about the musician’s heritage, and did her father’s work influence her own career?
A family
Natalie was born in 1979 in the English city of Macclesfield. Parents - musician Ian Curtis and his wife Deborah. They met as teenagers and married in 1975.
In 1976, Curtis joined the group Joy Division, became the frontman and songwriter. Their music was a great success with critics and fans. A busy creative life undermined Curtis’s poor health. He was diagnosed with epilepsy, and over time, seizures became more frequent. Medications 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
After his death, the widow and daughter of Ian Curtis did not attract the attention of the press. In 1982, Deborah remarried and gave birth to a son.
Ian Curtis' daughters Natalie Curtis was 1 year old at the time of his death. The mother first told the girl about her musician father when she was about 3 years old. Little Natalie took the information as a given and for many years did not consider Ian a cult figure. Understanding the work of Joy Division came to a girl in her teens.
In the 1980s, Natalie discovered photoshoots of Ian and his group, which were published in music magazines. Pictures taken by Kevin Cummins and Anton Corbijn during Joy Division rehearsals influenced the creative thinking of Ian Curtis's daughter. Natalie Curtis decided to become a photographer.
Creative biography
Natalie started taking pictures at the age of 4 using her grandmother’s camera. After graduating from school, the daughter of a musician studied the work of artists at Mecclesfield College. She then received a bachelor's degree from the University of Manchester School of Art, becoming a certified photographer.
In 2006, twenty-seven-year-old Natalie Curtis was present on the set of the feature film The Control about her father. The script of the picture was based on a book of memoirs by Deborah Curtis. At first, Natalie did not want to have anything to do with the depiction of Ian's life and death on the screen, but curiosity prevailed. The daughter of the musician took part in the filming process and made portraits of Sam Riley and Samantha Morton, which were played by her parents. Photos were presented at Natalie's exhibitions in France and Belgium, arranged with the support of the producers of "Control".
Since the beginning of his career, Curtis has been collaborating with English music labels and creating photo sessions for musicians. In 2009, she received a nomination for the Manchester Best Photographers Award for her work with British bands Doves and Silversun Pickups.
In 2016, the Vapours book by Natalie Curtis was published. This is a collection of the photographer’s early work done in the homeland in England and during trips to the USA and Spain.
