Exhibition “Helmut Newton Grand Palais, Southeast gallery” : 24 March 2012 – 17 June 2012

I will be going to see the exhibition on June 9th, at the time I will be in Paris, to watch Roland Garros.

German-born Newton, neé Neustädter, died as a result of a car accident in Los Angeles in 2004 when he was aged 84.

The photographer, son of a factory owner, was of Jewish heritage and in 1938 was forced to flee the Nazis before the First World War. Finding his way to Australia some years later, he changed his name to Newton and embarked upon the photography career that would make his name.

Eighteen years after fleeing Germany, at the age of 36, he landed his first commission with Vogue, leading him to the path that would see him become one of the fashion photography industry’s finest artists.

for Vogue Hommes in the seventies

Helmut Newton was more than a fashion photographer, and created a world where women are strong and don’t need men. So, a genius!?

But since Newton’s death in 2004, there has been no retrospective of his work in France until now, althought he did much of his work here especially for the French edition of Vogue. Provocative, heretical, sometimes shocking, Newton’s work explores beauty, sex, humour and violence, showing the links between fashion and power.

This exhibition at the Grand Palais that is currently on runs to June 17 and brings together more than 200 images in the form of original and vintage prints, Polaroids, contact sheets and huge exhibition pieces like cover records.

He has been one of my inspiration during my work also I am definitely going to see his work early next month in Paris.