William Klein: Style

EVENT DESCRIPTION

This September, f22 foto space is delighted to present the “Style” exhibition by William Klein, one of the most influential photographers. In this exhibition, we invite you to explore Klein’s non-conforming approach to fashion through his avant-garde perspective, which has redefined modern photography.

Born in New York in 1928, Klein started photography in early 1950 while working with architect Angelo Mangiarotti as a young artist after studying painting at La Sorbonne under the guidance of French painter Fernand Léger. In 1954, he was invited by Alexander Liberman, the Artistic Director of American Vogue, to become the magazine’s photographer.

Klein applied abstract geometry and contrasting lines in his composition, lighting, layout, and design. He created a new direction in fashion photography by infusing his work with the city vibe, turning streets into runways and bringing high fashion from studio to the real world. He further explored the use of graphical elements in photo making by reinterpreting painted contact sheets to direct the viewers‘ gaze as an art form.

Klein has received numerous honours and awards during his career, including a Commander of Arts and Letters in France in 1989, the Centenary Medal by the Royal Photographic Society in London in 1999, and the Outstanding Contribution to Photography Award at the 2012 Sony World Photography Awards. Works by William Klein were exhibited and collected throughout the world at major institutions including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Tate Modern in London, the Centre Pompidou in Paris and Tokyo Photographic Art Museum in Tokyo.

ABOUT THE ARTIST / ORGANISER

f22 foto space is a gallery established in September 2017 with a focus on photo-art, Hong Kong artists and contemporary design, following the opening of F11 Foto Museum in 2014.