The Pirelli 2005 Calendar.

Photography by Patrick Demarchelier.

Demarchelier has grasped and assimilated the spirit of Brazil: 'O espirito do Brazil' is in fact the title chosen for the backstage film and of Rio de Janeiro, a city dominated by strong contrasts, required a masterly use of light to express strong contrasts and obtain striking portraits, black and white only.

Quite the opposite of last year imaginative, highly coloured and almost hyper-technologic calendar signed by Nick Knight, the Cal 2005 goes back to the traditional technique of black and white photography that also characterised the calendars by Arthur Elgort (1990), Peter Lindberg (1996), Richard Avedon (1997), Bruce Weber (1998) and Herb Ritts (1999). As the art director, Douglas Lloyd, states, "every image is a graphic portrait, classic but at the same time modern, exalting the beauty of the female body".

Demarchelier uses a personal technique that ensures the immediacy of the result, taking direct positive shots on Polaroid film. His photography stands out for its capacity to apply the most sophisticated studio techniques to spectacular, luminous locations, creating images that are fluid and at the same time immersed in nature.

The result is a truly unique version of the Pirelli Calendar, made up for the first time of 22 pages. The Calendar closes with a lively collage of shots "stolen" by the great photographer in a famous Rio discotheque, during the party that concluded the shooting.