Pirelli Tire North America Inc. recently hosted the 2012 Pirelli Calendar launch party in New York City. The new calendar was previewed by the world media, international guests and collectors at “The Armory,” the 19th century New York City military landmark.
The 39th issue of "The Cal" (yes, it is trademarked) features the work of Mario Sorrenti, the first Italian photographer in the history of a calendar. Sorrenti chose the island of Corsica and its rugged landscape to create what he calls his "Swoon" collection.
“The intense relationship between a photographer and his Muse is the very essence of the creation of a strong aesthetic dialogue which leads to the sublimation of natural beauty," he says. "In making The Cal, I approached the subjects of my pictures by building a straightforward, intimate and real relationship, which made it possible for me to instill the images with purity.
"In 'Swoon,' I put the bodies in direct contact with nature, which harbors them as if they were its extension, in a set of images where rocks, land, tree trunks, sky and sea are all turned into a backdrop for the bodies."
Nine models and three actresses are featured in the 25 pictures of the 2012 Calendario Pirelli; 18 are black and white and seven are color. They are presented in a refined, canvas-lined portfolio, a format that has never been used before.
The models in the calendar are Isabeli Fontana, Natasha Poly, Saskia de Brauw, Lara Stone, Joan Small, Guinevere Van Seenus, Malgosia, Edita Vilkeviciute and Kate Moss. The actresses are Milla Jovovich, Margareth Madè and Rinko Kikuchi.
Pirelli Tire North America is a subsidiary of Pirelli & Cie SpA, the fifth largest tire producer in the world. In the United States, Pirelli has a plant and headquarters in Rome, Ga., and offices in New York City.
