Horst at the V&A

For me, September always brings with it a new sense motivation and excitement and I'm feeling a lot more inspired to document more of what I've been up to on this blog. 

Yesterday I went the new Horst exhibition at the V&A. Horst was a fashion photographer who started out in the 1930s and created beautiful images for the likes of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. Some of these, such as the woman untying her corset, have become iconic images and are referenced repeatedly by in magazines, illustration and even Madonna's 'Vogue' video!

Horst often photographed models alongside statues and was interested in making his models' bodies look stark, clean and solid like marble. I particularly loved his colour images which he shot in the 1940s as colour became more widely used. The close-up images of images advertising lipstick are so striking with their bright reds and corals clashing against the model's clothing and I was surprised to discover that many of his photos were edited and retouched before going to print (although nothing like the extent to which they are today).

Also on display were some of the couture dresses worn by the models. There were Chanel, Lanvin and Schiaperelli's and -my favourite- the Vionnet which was amazing to see up close. And I loved seeing his Rolleiflex camera and film negatives.

In later life Horst veered away from fashion photography to explore new ideas like photographing plants and succulents in the New York Botanical Gardens and taking pictures of his travels in Persia. The exhibition itself it huge and there is so much to take in - I'm quite tempted to go back for a second look!

Although I couldn't take any photos inside the exhibition I've included a few pictures of the postcards I bought in the gift shop. 

I hope you all had a lovely summer and are looking forward to Autumn. I'll be attempting to update here a little more so stay tuned!

Xxxx

Erwin Blumenfeld at Somerset House

 

I managed to squeeze in another 'artsy' adventure today! This time it was the Erwin Blumenfeld exhibition at Somerset House in London. Blumenfeld was a Berlin born photographer who emigrated to New York in the 1940s. Whilst forever believing himself to be an outsider to the American lifestyle, his fashion portraits were responsible for creating and embracing the signature look of the New York woman. Polished, glossy and almost too perfect, his covers for Vogue and Harper's Bazaar depict beautiful women as the utmost objects of desire. 

Perhaps Blumenfeld's most famous image is one featured on the cover of Vogue which depicts the disembodied features of a woman's face - it is instantly recognisable. His simple use of colour still seems fresh today and there is always something Surreal and a little bit different about his photos. Accompanying the exhibition were some examples of the magazines in which he was printed as well as a short film which went into more detail about his life and work. This was fascinating - it seems that despite his idolisation of 'perfect' women in his commercial work, his own self-portraits which are distorted and unidentifiable, showing someone deeply concerned with and constantly exploring the idea of his own identity. I highly recommend popping in to see this display if you can. Blumenfeld's photos are so iconic and made a huge impact fashion photography.

The exhibition is free and finishes on 1st September.