Grob Gallery was delighted to present a diverse collection of vintage and contemporary photography at Photo London 2023. The booth featured walls dedicated to French vintage, nudes, and contemporary that focused on the intersection of nature. The walls showcased works by William Klein and Sam Haskins. The artists included Willy Ronis, Nobuyoshi Araki, Man Ray, Maurice Tabard, Constantin Brancusi, Frank Horvat, Pierre Boucher, Edouard Boubat, William Silano, Martina Amati, Richard Misrach, Edward Weston, Guy Bourdin, and Bill Brandt.
The highlight of the exhibition was a feature wall dedicated to four extraordinary vintage prints, one by William Klein, Edouard Boubat, and two by Willy Ronis. The prints were made in the 1950s as exhibition prints and were mounted by the artists onto cardboard and hung directly on the wall unframed. Of particular note was Willy Ronis's "Nu Provençal," considered one of the most celebrated photographs of the 20th century. There were only four recorded prints of this image, and it was chosen by Ronis to represent his work in a landmark exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1951.
The William Klein wall presented a collection of works that highlighted Klein's unique vision of the world. It was the first exhibition since Klein's passing last year, and the works on display were from an exhibition Grob Gallery held in Geneva in 2017 titled "William Klein: Fashion Photos."
The Sam Haskins wall showcased a selection of fashion and nude photographs taken in the 1960s-80s. Haskins was known for his bold and sensual approach to fashion photography, and his work was marked by its innovation and creativity. The wall included works from all of Haskins's major series, including "Five Girls" and "Cowboy Kate."
The contemporary wall featured works by three renowned contemporary photographers: Martina Amati, Richard Misrach, and Nobuyoshi Araki. Amati's work explored the intersection of nature and the human form, capturing the delicate balance between the two in a way that was both thought-provoking and aesthetically beautiful. Misrach's photographs offered a stark look at the impact of human activity on the natural world, highlighting the urgent need for environmental awareness and action. Araki's work, on the other hand, was marked by its intensity and rawness, exploring themes of eroticism of nature and mortality in a way that was both confrontational and vulnerable.
The connecting thread throughout the exhibition was the exploration of the human form, whether it was through the French vintage works' emotional depth and sensitivity, William Klein's unique vision, Sam Haskins's bold and sensual approach to fashion and nudes, or the contemporary works' exploration of the intersection of nature and humanity. These distinct walls highlighted different approaches to the representation of the human form in photography, creating a dialogue that bridged the past and the present and offered a comprehensive view of the evolution of photography as an art form.