The 11th iteration of Photo London has opened at Kensington Olympia with an innovative programme of curated and public sections to complement the gallery presentations. With all stands spread across two floors in the recently refreshed National Hall, the overall look and feel is light and modern as displays are no longer in competition with the historical maze of rooms at Somerset House.
As this year’s ‘Master of Photography’, Steven Meisel’s monumental black and white prints dominate the gallery floor overlooking the main fair below.
On the back of his collaboration with Madonna on her book Sex, the reclusive New Yorker came to London in 1993 to shoot his ‘Anglo-Saxon Attitude’ feature for British Vogue. He worked closely with Isabella Blow, who introduced him to her society friends. The rest is fashion history.
Shot in black and white at locations across London without a crane or skyscraper in sight (plus a couple of Londoners in Paris and New York), the portraits have a timeless quality and capture the spirit of that time. London was just coming out of recession, influence was discreetly handed down the family line, and mobile phones a novelty. All components of the ‘Cool Britannia’ recognised by Meisel in Stella Tennant, Bella Freud et al.
A well-curated edition to a fair riding the spirit of evolution.
Photo London 14th-17 May 26, photolondon.org
About
Steven Meisel (b. 1954, New York, USA) is an American fashion photographer known for his influential work in editorial photography and image-making within the global fashion industry. Steven Meisel has played a central role in shaping contemporary fashion imagery, particularly through his long-standing collaborations with Vogue Italia and major fashion houses.
Meisel’s photography is characterised by its versatility and narrative construction. His work ranges from minimalist studio portraits to highly produced editorial shoots that reference cinema, art history and popular culture. Steven Meisel is known for launching and defining the visual identities of numerous models and for producing editorial series that reflect and critique social and cultural themes.
Steven Meisel has worked with leading designers and brands, contributing to campaigns and publications that have defined fashion photography from the 1980s to the present. His work positions him as one of the most important photographers in contemporary fashion, where image, identity and cultural commentary intersect.
