With "Hardcore," Eric Kroll unearths the underbelly of the porn industry

"In the sex industry, I have lots of friends, both men and women. Their job is to fuck." Interviewed by phone, Eric Kroll displays his wit, visibly delighted. He takes the opportunity to tell his life story, in the raspy voice of an old hand, well-versed in truculence. Aged 78, the American photographer has become world-famous with his shots of erotic models and stars. He just published, in June, a collection of completely new photos, Hardcore, with Timeless Editions, which constitute a new source of information on the history of porn in the United States.

" Hardcore means porn," explains the editor, Xavier Laradji. "Hardcore is above all the title of a legendary film by Paul Schrader , on the set of which Eric Kroll was invited as a behind-the-scenes photographer." The images date from 1978. That year, Paul Schrader – targeted since April by a