An intimate glimpse into Björk’s historic first encounter with Spike Jonze

Almost 30 years ago, in 1995, Spike Jonze met Björk for the first time at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles, where the musician was staying in preparation to shoot their iconic “It’s Oh So Quiet” music video. Their connection, the filmmaker says, was “instantly natural”, and in their first few hours together he would go on to shoot thousands of photos of her for the now-defunct Detour magazine. Only a few of these images ever saw the light of day, however, until now.

Humberto Leon – the founder of Opening Ceremony, turned restaurateur – met Jonze at a Christmas party in 2008, and the pair quickly became close friends and collaborators, working on joint clothing collections, a play, a musical, and various other projects. More recently, Leon was helping Jonze to organise his archive when he stumbled on the outtakes from the historic Björk photoshoot. “I felt like I just got tickets to the most incredible cultural museum,” he tells Dazed.

Now, Leon is helping to bring a broader selection of the photos – more than 25 of them – into the public eye, via an exhibition at his recently-opened restaurant and gallery space in Los Angeles, Arroz & Fun. Accompanied by a commemorative printed and digital zine (presented in partnership with WeTransfer) The Day I Met Björk gives an insight into an iconic part of the Björk canon, with a conversation between Jonze and Leon offering an even deeper dive into the story behind the shoot.

The images themselves are the real star of the show, of course, with the “otherworldly” soon-to-be-superstar shown sipping her morning coffee, jumping on the bed, bundled in blankets, and floating (fully clothed) in the hotel pool. Take a look at some of the highlights in the gallery above, and read Dazed’s conversation about the exhibition with Humberto Leon below.

In the zine, you talk about growing up in the 90s – what did Björk and Spike Jonze’s work mean to you then? 

Humberto Leon: This was pre-internet, pre-cellphone, pre-iTunes. You found your culture through music, and music videos had a profound impact on everything. I knew Björk’s work from the Sugarcubes, but when her Debut album released it was refreshing and amazing. She was a fashion icon and everything she did and wore was mind-blowing to the 18-year-old me. Spike had done the Beastie Boys and I was instantly a fan.  Everything Spike did was epically mind-blowing, simple, heartfelt… and above all it was always storytelling that I was amazed by!

How has your perspective on Spike’s work changed since becoming friends and collaborators?

Humberto Leon: Spike is forever evolving as an artist and has no fear entering any realm. It’s been both inspiring and humbling to call him a friend and collaborator. He constantly inspires me and we have a lot of fun working together. All the work that we have done together really comes down to two friends whose conversations come to life.

And has the way you feel about Björk’s work changed in the last 30 years?

Humberto Leon: Björk is one of the most important artists of our generation. She is unique and has a sensibility that continues to empower and grow as she evolves.

Can you recall the moment you first stumbled on the images in Spike’s archive? How did that feel?

Humberto Leon: I felt like I just got tickets to the most incredible cultural museum. I asked to see his archives because I wanted to do a collection based on his photos.  He showed me his storage and I wanted to dive in and help organise. I discovered the past through his incredible lens and it was truly, truly incredible.

Do you have a favourite image from the archives?

Humberto Leon: There are so many eras that it’s hard to choose a favourite. From BMX, skate, and music videos, [to] movies, photoshoots and commercial work, they all have the same sense of storytelling. My favourite photos are some that Spike’s mum shot of him when he was a kid.

“I loved that [the shoot] was the first day they met, knowing that they are such good friends now. Through the photos you just see the amount of trust Björk had with Spike right away” – Humberto Leon

In the zine you talk to Spike about how the photoshoot came together – what detail stuck with you most?

Humberto Leon: I loved that [the shoot] was the first day they met, knowing that they are such good friends now. There are so many rolls of film from this day and through the photos you just see the amount of trust Björk had with Spike right away. It’s very endearing.

What makes Arroz & Fun the right place to finally unveil these unseen photographs? 

Humberto Leon: Arroz & Fun is a café concept by me and my family, and I want it to be a place where people can enjoy great food but also a place where they can discover culture. This debut exhibition will open up the space as a place to view fun things that might not be seen otherwise. More to come…

The Day I Met Björk runs at Arroz & Fun from February 15. The accompanying zine is now available to download via WeTransfer, here.