WILLIAM KLEIN
William Klein was born in New York City to an impoverished Jewish migrant family in 1928. Since his childhood, he dreamed about Europe and avant-garde life among Parisian artists. He joined the US Army and was stationed in France, where he permanently settled. After some time, Klein enrolled at the Sorbonne, where he studied sculpture. He bought his first camera and started to take pictures of everything around him. In search of artsy connections, Klein was lucky to meet Pablo Picasso, who noted that he had an obvious talent. In 1954, Klein’s works were noticed by Alexander Liberman, art director of Vogue in the USA, so he was offered a photographer’s contract. Klein was the one to change the attitude towards fashion photography, which had been considered second-rate advertising. He was not interested in a model’s dress or hair. He just created an idea, which became the semantic and compositional center of a photograph. Klein is now a fellow of the Royal Photographic Society. His works are held in the Rijksmuseum’s collection in Amsterdam. He has received prestigious awards, including the Prix Nadar (1957), the Cultural Award from the German Society for Photography (1988), the Hasselblad Award (1990), and the Outstanding Contribution to Photography Award at the Sony World Photography Awards (2012).
SIMONE + NINA, PIAZZA DI SPAGNA NR. 2, ROME (VOGUE). 1960
40X50 CM SILVER GELATIN PRINT PRINTED LATER SIGNED VERSO BY THE AUTHOR IN PENCIL
This photograph of two young women was taken at Piazza di Spagna in Rome, where William Klein and his team traveled to shoot for Vogue in 1960. The photographer found himself in a confusing situation, as he had not figured out how the studio equipment worked. However, he was inventive in finding a solution quickly—he began to work outside. This gradual withdrawal from staged images became the first experience of that kind, both for Vogue and the whole fashion industry. Even today, Klein’s methods of outdoor shooting seem revolutionary. They became his calling card and the start of street photography. © William Klein
ANNE STE MARIE. ISABELLA ALBONICO. H. CHARLES QUEENSBOROUGH BRIDGE, NEW YORK. 1963
30X40 CM SILVER GELATIN PRINT PRINTED LATER SIGNED VERSO BY THE AUTHOR IN PENCIL
This is one of the first photographs taken by William Klein in the street. Bringing mirrors out of the studio was his idea. The image of two young women wearing black gowns was made for Vogue on the Queensboro Bridge in New York in 1963. © William Klein
MODELS BACKSTAGE, FILM “WHO ARE YOU, POLLY MAGGOO?”. PARIS. 1966
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This photo was taken in 1966 during the shooting of ‘Who are you, Polly Maggoo?’ directed by Klein. This picture brings us into the attractive and romantic world of haute couture. The unpredictable and surrealistic plot of the film resembles a photo collage and revolves around the unbelievable adventures of a young romantic model. © William Klein