Goldfinger, quintessential villain of the James Bond franchise, smothered his victims in gold paint. Cinematically the result is enduringly iconic; a beautifully woman lying naked, glittering like liquid gold. In the more recent Quantum of Solace an homage to that iconic scene comes by way of another Bond Girl death: Strawberry Fields, played by Gemma Arterton, suffers death by oil slick – a beautiful woman lying naked, this time shining like liquid tar.
Blackgold by MarquisMontes has the beautiful woman, the 60s styling, the painted body; not to mention the kind of nude silhouettes that could easily dance across a James Bond film title sequence. Cue the inimitable voice of Dame Shirley Bassey, and our desire to sit down to a Bond movie marathon.
And while MarquisMontes’ shoot feels distinctly vintage-inspired there’s one other modern cinematic moment that springs to mind: the title credits of David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, themselves being what a Bond sequence might look like if twisted, tar-covered, and backed by Trent Reznor.
Showcasing jewellery by Arielle de Pinto and Powerhaus, you can view all of Blackgold at the gallery above.
For more work by the photographers visit marquismontes.com.
