LIFE IS ART ART IS LIFE, MAYBE

Gallery Lumiere Seoul is pleased to announce the first major exhibition in Asia of more than 80 works by the internationally renowned artist William Klein. The highly praised retrospective exhibition that was held at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris from 7th December 2005 to 20th February 2006 was a sensation and we are honored to have the chance to share the excitement in Seoul.

“Life is Art Art is Life” will be held at Gallery Lumiere Seoul from 15th December 2007 to 17th February 2008. The exhibition will show a variety of his works, from vintage and modern fashion prints, New York photographs, contact prints and oversize color prints.

For William Klein, photography is an element that cannot be separated from his life. William Klein was born in New York but lived in Paris, and whilst there, was influenced by geometric and abstract art during his brief study with Fernand Leger. He portrays our life not in a traditional way but in his own way, in his own perspective and in the eyes of the world.

In May 2007 William Klein received the ‘Life Time Achievement Award’ from the International Center for Photography Infinity Awards. Within the field of photography and also in the 20th century art world, William Klein is one of the most influential artists. He is not only a photographer but also a painter, film producer and graphic designer.

His works takes a new and radical approach and shows that photography is not an independent form of art but where all kinds of art coexist in the same space. He was bold enough to throw himself in to the challenge of expressing his world in various genres. The world is portrayed as dark and violent in the baffling and shocking ‘New York’ images. These powerful works draws us into the world where we can cross between reality and trance. By introducing new techniques to fashion photography he invites us into a creative world where fashion and art coexist.

As William Klein says, photography is “une fenetre ouverte sur la vie (an open window to the world)”, and this is how he portrays our life as truthfully as possible.

From 1955 to 1965, William Klein started working with ‘Vogue’ magazine, creating a new aesthetic combining graphic, satiric style with the absurd. William Klein preferred taking photographs of models out in the streets. By introducing new techniques to fashion photography, he makes fashion an area of innovation in photography.

NEW YORK

After spending a long time in Paris, William Klein returned to New York in 1955. For William Klein, Paris and New York are significant places in his life. After he married Jeanne Florin he decided to stay in Paris and continue to produce works there.

Although William Klein was born in New York he lived in Paris so he captures the image of New York with a foreign eye. With the application of new techniques; use of wide angle lens, blur, high contrast, and other techniques, his work becomes more dynamic and intense. The aggressiveness and vulgarity of the city shown in his works were a shock to the public.