Last saturday the exhibition of Helmut Newton, the prodigy of fashion photography has been opened with curatorial guided tours, acoustic concert and numerous visitors.
Helmut Newton (1920–2004) never ceased to both astound and polarize. Early in his career, he succeeded in finding fellow creative spirits who appreciated his unique visual concepts. The result is a body of work that is not only exceptionally characteristic and accomplished but also one that has reached a public of millions through the magazines and books in which his photographs have appeared as well through the exhibitions of his prints. Spanning more than five decades, the work of Helmut Newton defies categorization. Newton transcended genres, bringing elegance, style, and voyeurism to fashion, beauty, and glamour photography for an oeuvre that remains as inimitable as it is unrivaled. Fashion photography – which not only describes but also redefines the spirit of the times – aims to tell exciting and surprising stories with images. In this respect, Newton mastered this task perfectly.
Helmut Newton’s fashion shoots invariably went beyond standard practice, interweaving a parallel narrative, sometimes tinged with a sense of surrealism or the suspense of an Alfred Hitchcock film. Frequently it remains unclear where reality ends and staging begins, with elements combining to create a confounding play of power and seduction.
Zsolt Czeglédi’s photos:
