Born into a Jewish family in Berlin in 1920, Helmut Newton was a German-Australian photographer whose provocative, erotically charged black-and-white photos were a mainstay of Vogue and other publications. When looking at Helmut Newton’s photographs, it is often unclear where reality ends and where the “show” begins. He combines different elements in his photographs to create an embarrassing play of power and seduction with an incredible aesthetic sense.
As a great fashion photographer, he redefined the spirit of the times; his purpose was to tell exciting and surprising stories through pictures. He focused mostly on women – Paloma Picasso, Catherine Deneuve, Liz Taylor, Carla Bruni – but the interaction between men and women is a recurring theme in his footage.
In the late years, Newton also worked for German, American, Italian, French and Russian Vogue, primarily in and around Monte Carlo. It is impossible to categorize his work of more than five decades. In his pictures, he combined elegance and style. His oeuvre is not only unique but also inimitable.
From October 26 to January 26, MODEM will exhibit the photos of the German photographer including photos made between 1972 and 1984, black-and-white silver prints, fashion photos, portraits, and nudes.
The exhibition is curated by Matthias Harder, director of the Helmut Newton Foundation.
