Harri Pecinotti: The Mastermind of Nova

Written by Max Gibson

Lining every checkout counter across the nation, they sit. Platinum blondes, with airbrushed bodies, preaching 123 ways to improve your sex life and 234 ways to lose weight. In every counter across the nation, they sit. Glamour. Cosmo. In Style. Their titles all too familiar. The same cover girls smiling at us as we grab our groceries, grinning at us across the nation, from Los Angeles to New York, and everywhere in between. Standing in the checkout I ponder, was it always like this? When did things change? How did we get here? And when did we lose the real? By today’s standards it’s difficult to imagine a time where popular media offered a true voice with a real message. However, in the 1960’s, such a publication existed. It was called Nova.

If Hugh Hefner and Larry Flynt were the one’s to expose women’s sexuality to mainstream America, it was Harri Peccinotti who brought flavor and taste to the female form. As the original art director of Nova magazine, it was Peccinotti who created a publication solely dedicated to the female experience. Features titled, “Can a Woman Love Two Men at Once?” and “Everything Else To Do In Bed,” related Peccinotti’s desire to converse with his female audience rather than exploit them. As a photographer, editor, and designer, Harri Peccinotti redefined the presence of women in popular media by creating an aesthetic that transcended the societal norms of the time.

Born in London in 1935, Harri Peccinotti began his creative career in the field of music. Playing bass and trombone in his late teens, it was his interest in music that inadvertently led him to design and photography, “I was working as a musician in the early 50’s and was introduced to a renowned drummer, Carlo Krahmer, who happened to own Esquire Records. He asked me if I would design some record sleeves for him.” Designing some 30 covers for Carlo, the design process would introduce Harri to the visual arts, allowing him to use his imagination to create iconic visuals to accompany his progressive commentary.

Entering the realm of advertising following his stint with Esquire Records, Peccinotti art directed and photographed for various publications throughout the 60’s. Working as the lead art director for Vanity Fair magazine, Harri’s unique use of imagery and illustration provided a fresh perspective to these popular magazines of the time. In many instances it was Harri’s vision that gave his work its iconic status. With a keen foresight for the intention of his images, Harri’s photographs never lacked meaning or purpose. According to Harri, his prowess came from his ability to see the end result of his images, “It comes down to seeing the possibilities of the final use while taking the picture…” Harri said, utilizing his vision to place his photographs in their appropriate settings.
While an asset to the publications he directed, it was Harri’s personal creation Nova Magazine which helped redefine popular culture in the 60’s. Celebrating the female form through erotic imagery, Nova magazine served as an erotic woman’s magazine that spoke to the female experience, “Nova magazine was aimed at women belonging of the AA market, which translated to “Above Average income and intelligence.” Articles ranging from philosophy, politics, sociology, to medicine, morality and sex were common. In many ways Nova challenged the formal constructs of a women’s magazine, embracing risk and taking chances in editorial features and photographic content. In short, Nova Magazine epitomized the concept of avant garde, successfully reshaping the scope of women’s publications forever.

While Harri was the originator of Nova, his inspiration came from the women who lined its pages. Redefining the role of women in print, Nova’s unapologetic depiction of women created a new way of viewing and presenting the female form, “The heroines of Nova left no leaf unturned. Peccinotti portrayed the cultural shifts, forthright feminism and sexual liberty of the times on the pages of a monthly magazine.”  (H.P) Utilizing close up photographs to create compelling imagery, Harri used his subjects bodies to make statements about society and culture, ultimately creating singular works of art in the process.

Where other publications would deem Nova’s editorial choices as risky, Harri saw his decisions as appropriate. Cutting through the editorial barriers of political correctness, Harri sought to speak directly to the conversations woman were having behind closed doors. Bright, colorful, covers accentuated the bold features that lay within the pages of Nova. As society changed throughout the 60’s, so did Nova. At the forefront of popular culture, Nova served as a source of knowledge and inspiration for women around the world. Challenging the norms of women’s identity, while redefining the possibilities for a monthly publication.

Often times shocking his audience through racy yet tasteful spreads, Nova’s use of nudity, presented sexuality through an artistic lens, relating Harri’s deep appreciation for the female form, “Nudity replaced diamonds and pearls as the accessory of the sixties. The close-up shot welcomed the viewer into an intimate space. A decorated eye, a dangling charm, a luscious pair of lips. Have a pair of breasts ever appeared so round in contrast to the Tour d’ Eiffel nestled between them? These private moments brought the viewer closer to the subject from the nape of the neck to the ankle bone.” (H.P) Where nudity was considered pornographic in other publications, Harri used nudity as an avenue to create dialogue about the changing roles of women in society. Close up images of nude body parts took on an identity of their own, rearticulating their meaning while cultivating the Nova aesthetic, “Until the middle of the 60’s, there were no black models and no nipples. The first nipple that appeared in a Pirelli calendar was in 1968. The changes since then have been phenomenal.” (H.P)

Providing the rubric for the Vogue’s and GQ’s of the world to follow, Harri’s negation of race, created a visually eclectic publication that transcended demographics and celebrated diversity. While the contemporary media landscape remains bleak today, the work of Harri Peccinotti brings optimism to those longing for authenticity and originality to return to today’s mainstream publications. As an innovator and visionary, Peccinotti’s contributions to the world of art and culture will resonate throughout the pages of publications now and well into the future.