William Klein

WILLIAM KLEIN (New York, 1926- Paris, 2022) .
"Model + Graffiti (photo décor)". Paris (Vogue), 1961.
Gelatin silver print.
Signed, titled, dated in pencil (on reverse).
Provenance: Claudio Poleschi Arte Contemporanea Gallery, San Marino, Italy.
Measurements: 39.5 x 30.8 cm (image).

William Klein developed an innovative and experimental style in the field of fashion photography, as we see in this photograph he took in Paris in 1961 for Vogue magazine. The woman's dress partially mimics the graffiti wall through a play of light and texture. In contrast, the fine shoes and gold earrings create an interesting visual tension. Klein explores the contrast between the exclusivist glamour of fashion and the rawness of street graffiti using artistic techniques that expand the grammar of fashion photography. In the 1960s, fashion photography was dominated by polished, carefully composed images. Klein broke with these conventions by introducing a sense of spontaneity and realism. His photographic work was influenced by art, urban culture and the language of film (in whose field he also developed). Seeking the fleeting and the authentic, he took photography out of the studio and placed it in real, and often chaotic, settings.

William Klein was an American photographer and film director. Although he was born in New York and educated at City College there, Klein's work was primarily in France. He had directed a number of feature films (including the 1966 film "Qui êtes-vous, Polly Maggoo" and the anti-American satire "Mr. Freedom"). In the photographic field, Klein won the Nadar Award in 1956. In 1947, while in the army, he traveled for the first time to Paris and since then lived and worked in this city, with which he fell in love. In 1948 he enrolled at the Sorbonne University, where he was a student of Fernand Léger, among others. His best known works revolve around fashion and street photography, of which he was considered one of the creators and masters. Awards: In 1988 he was awarded the culture prize of the German photography association. In 1990 he received the International Award of the Hasselblad Foundation. In 2005 he received the PhotoEspaña award. Photography books: 1956. Life Is Good & Good for You in New York: Trance witness revels, Éditions su Seul, Paris. 1959. Rome: the City and its People, Feltrinelli, Milan. 1964. Tokyo, Zokeisha Publications, Tokyo. 1964. Moscow, Zokeisha Publications, Tokyo. 1989. Close up, Thames and Hudson, London, New York and Paris. KLEIN, W. (1990). Torino '90, Federico Motta, Milan. 1994. In and Out of Fashion, Random House, New York and London.