Anton Corbijn

Anton Johannes Gerrit Corbijn van Willenswaard, widely known as Anton Corbijn, is an esteemed Dutch photographer, film director, as well as music video director. Being the creative mastermind behind the visual output of Depeche Mode and U2, he has handled the principal promotion and sleeve photography for both bands, cementing his mark in the industry over three decades. Corbijn's illustrious videography includes hits such as Depeche Mode's 'Enjoy the Silence' (1990), U2's 'One' (1991), and Nirvana's 'Heart-Shaped Box' (1993), amongst others. He is also renowned for directing films like 'Viva la Vida' (2008), 'Control' (2007), 'The American' (2010), 'A Most Wanted Man' (2014), and 'Life' (2015).

Corbijn, born on the 20th of May 1955 in Strijen, Netherlands, embarked on his impressive career as a music photographer around 1975 when he chanced upon the Dutch musician Herman Brood performing in a café. After capturing an array of shots of the then-upcoming band, Herman Brood & His Wild Romance, both Brood and Corbijn's exposure industry skyrocketed. Throughout the late 1970s, his work was featured in the New Musical Express (NME), a London-based weekly music paper, which often graced their front page with Corbijn's distinctive photographs. Corbijn also has a long-standing association with the band Depeche Mode and U2, dating back to 1986 when he first started filming music videos for Depeche Mode. This relationship has only strengthened over the years, with Corbijn designing most of the album and single covers for Depeche Mode from their 1990's Violator album and onwards. A testament to his versatility and wide-ranging talent, Corbijn has also captured portraits of a vast number of well-known figures, including Jimmy Page, Bob Dylan, Joy Division, Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen, Ai Weiwei, and Kate Bush to name a few.