Just returned from a journey to the UK and Europe where a large part of my time was spent exploring the many brilliant exhibitions of photography by some of the planets most accomplished talents, past and present.
First up I crossed the Baltic Sea ice from Helsinki to Tallinn Estonia (see here) to visit ‘Fotografiska – The Contemporary Museum of Photography Art and Culture’. Three years ago I visited my first ‘Fotografiska’ gallery in Stockholm and left in awe … the best presented display of photography I’ve seen with the seminal work of Peter Lindbergh being the star of the show. Brilliant …
So, it was a no brainer to make a little side trip from a journey to the UK to explore Tallinn’s version of ‘Fotografiska’. Once again … ‘Fotografiska’ got it very right … brilliant displays of top photography. The 50 years of work by ‘Anton Corbijn’ portraying many of the World’s greatest musicians and entertainers across the decades, was truly remarkable.
In contrast to the Corbijn work was a stunning emotional exhibition by Swedish photographer Emilia Bergmark-Jiménez ‘To Be Born and to Give Birth’. The very intimate work (oft graphic) provided a wonderful insight into the birth of humans. You may see what most struck me at ‘Fotografiska’ Tallinn in the top four images below … Nick Cave and the Eurythmics by Corbijn, two works by Bergmark-Jiménez and the gallery in the snow.‘ Fotografiska’ now has galleries in Berlin, Stockholm, Shanghai and Tallinn. If you are in the vicinity of any I urge you to visit.
In London a priority was to visit the exhibition ‘Lee Miller ‘ at the Tate Britain and managed to get a ticket for one of the last sessions on closing day. Magnificent …
Well over two hundred works documenting the life and work of Lee Miller … which Tate accurately described as one of the 20th century’s most urgent artistic voices … adorned the walls of the historic gallery. Legend photographer Man Ray played a part in the exhibit with his stunning early photographs of his muse Miller … whilst you discovered her evolution as a photographer though the genres of fashion, portraiture, eroticism, landscape, documentary, magazine and eventually hard hitting war photography. Her images from the German concentration camps are particularly confronting and important. Lee Miller was so much more than a photographer sitting in Hitler’s bathtub !
My images from ‘Lee Miller’ are fifth to eighth below … a metres high portrait of Miller greets visitors at the Tate exhibition entrance, my favourite image of Miller by Man Ray (cropped by Miller herself), Millers image of a Burgermeister’s daughter who committed suicide as allied forces approached Leipzig in 1945 and Millers image of the execution of Prime Minister of Hungary Laszlo Bardossy in Budapest 1946.
Onto another legend … New York born photographer Richard Avedon died in 2004 but his portraiture works are timeless. The Gagosian Gallery in London are hosting an amazing exhibition of his portraits ‘Richard Avedon : Facing West’ until early April. The beautiful contemplative gallery in Grosvenor Hill is displaying (and selling if you have the $s) twenty two of Avedon’s portraits not seen since their debut in 1985, curated by his daughter Caroline Avedon. The highly detailed works were made on large format film in the late 1970’s and early 80’s and are spectacular ! Below in places nine and ten below are two of favourites in the show … ‘James Kimberlin, Drifter, New Mexico, 1980’ and ‘James Story, Coal Miner, Colorado, 1979’. Great chance to visit if you are currently in London.
I was very fortunate to catch up with UK photographer friend/colleague, little pocket rocket Jennifer Forward-Hayter, whilst in London. Jen was recently a winner in the prestigious ‘Portrait of Britain’ award and was soon off to Melbourne on another assignment. However we managed to spend a great day together at the Victoria and Albert Museum rummaging through the museums various photography exhibits and libraries.
Main exhibit of several showing was ‘American Photographs’ … over 100 years of images from ‘Merica by photographers including Walker Evans, Diane Arbus, Henri Cartier-Bresson (how’d he git in there ?) , Cindy Sherman and many more. A very comprehensive collection of Americana. We also scoured the photography library … 20000 books, journals and manuals which members (Jen is one) may access at any time. How good is that ? At image eleven below is a startling self portrait by Cindy Sherman from ‘American Photographs’.
Back to another Gagosian Gallery later in the visit to take in Nan Goldin’s stunning, sometimes confronting, ‘The Ballad of Sexual Dependency’ … all 126 photographs from Goldin’s genre-defining photobook of the same name published forty years ago. The mass of images on the walls makes for a time of study and reflection … very effective. Images below thirteen and fourteen show one of the gallery walls and perhaps my favourite image from the collection.
Now … more Lee Miller ! Strangely the tiny Lyndsey Ingram gallery in London chose to also present an exhibition of Lee Miller’s wonderful work entitled “Lee Miller : Performance of a Lifetime” … thirty four works, which as far as I could see, were also included in the Tate Britain exhibition. However, without the Tate’s crowds the quiet little gallery was much more conducive to the quiet contemplation of Miller’s works. At image fifteen below are two of my favourites on the wall … both made in war damaged locations … ‘Model Elizabeth Cowell 1941’ and ‘Imgard Seefried Opera Singer 1945’.
Just because it was on … also took in the ‘Wildlife Photographer of the Year’ at the Natural History Museum … very very impressive !
Phew … sorry this is so long … it would have been longer If I’d had more time!
Images … from top … Nick Cave by Anton Corbijn at Fotografiska Tallinn Estonia, Eurythmics Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart by Anton Corbijn at Fotografiska Tallinn Estonia, two works from “To be Born and to Give Birth” by Emilia Bergmark-Jiménez at Fotografiska Tallinn Estonia, the Fotografiska Gallery in the snow in Tallinn Estonia, two images of Lee Miller from “Lee Miller” at Tate Britain London, two works by Lee Miller from “Lee Miller” at Tate Britain London, two works from Richard Avedon at the Gagosian Gallery, Cindy Sherman self portrait from “American Photographs” at the V&A, two images from Nan Goldin’s “The Ballad of Sexual Dependency” at Gagosian and finally, two images from “Lee Miller – Performance of a Lifetime” at the Lyndsey Ingram Gallery.
Images © Brian Cassey & The Artists
