PRESS RELEASE
Killer Looks: Iconic Fashion Photography
Mar 28 – May 31, 2008
Extensive collection of vintage and signed limited edition photographs representing some of the most iconic images of style and glamour along with revealing portraits of actors, models, politicians and everyday fashions of the 20th century.
OPENING RECEPTIONS WITH RENOWNED LIFE MAGAZINE PHOTOGRAPHER JOHN DOMINIS.
Friday, March 28 6:00 PM – 9 PM
Sat, March 29 6:00 PM – 9 PM
The Contessa Gallery at Legacy Village launches the new year with an exclusive world-class exhibition of photographs by such notables in the fashion world as Richard Avedon, Horst P. Horst, William Klein, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Nina Leen, Gjon Mili and John Dominis. The gallery will also be premiering ten iconic LIFE images in a large 30 x 40” size.
While created for the distinct purpose of marketing fashion, this genre of photography has nevertheless earned its place in the art world, further blurring the line between advertising and art. Over time, fashion photography has developed its own aesthetic in which the clothes and style are enhanced by exotic locations and story lines. During the last few years, a growing number of museums have begun exhibiting both contemporary and vintage fashion photography. The exhibition at the Contessa Gallery will celebrate some of the most prolific and influential contributors to this exciting artistic genre.
Richard Avedon’s career as a fashion and portrait photographer spanned nearly seven decades in the 20th and 21st century, leaving an indelible impression on American culture. The early years of Avedon’s distinguished career were spent photographing the era’s leading models in designer clothing for magazines such as Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.
Horst P. Horst had his first one-man exhibition in 1932 which made him instantly famous. During his career he photographed countless celebrities including Bette Davis, Noel Coward, Yvonne Printemps, Lisa Fonssagrives, Marlene Dietrich, and others. One of the great iconic photos by Horst, “The Mainbocher Corset” with its erotically charged mystery, continues to be an inspiration for designers today and will be on view at Contessa Gallery.
With his shots of the 1950 and 1960s and his ironic approach to the world of fashion, William Klein created an uncompromising rejection of the then prevailing rules of photography. Hired as a Vogue photographer in 1954, he strived to eliminate mundane fashion poses, taboos and clichés. He worked with unconventional wide angles, lighting and flash effects and with intentional motion blurs. Thus he established a reputation as a revolutionary and talented fashion lensman.
Through the years LIFE Magazine photographers delivered numerous depictions of American and world fashion and celebrities to its readers. Nina Leen masterfully captured everyday fashions. Gjon Mili’s portraits of artists, musicians, and other notables were always revered for their stunning visual effects. Alfred Eisenstaedt has photographed more of the world's famous faces than any other photographer in history. They all captured the images that defined fashion in the twentieth century.
The Contessa Gallery is proud to welcome LIFE photographer John Dominis to Cleveland for the opening receptions. In 1950, Dominis joined the staff of LIFE, and later became photo editor of People magazine and then Sports Illustrated. His photographs, taken over a career of sixty years, have captured the personal style of Frank Sinatra, John Wayne, Steve McQueen, Robert Redford and countless other icons of our time.
The exhibition will also offer a unique opportunity for collectors to see for the first time the marriage of the most compelling and famous LIFE images with large-scale format. The Contessa Gallery will display these new fine-art limited-edition pigment prints in 30 x 40” size.