Erwin Blumenfeld is remembered foremost for his experimental fashion photography, which graced the covers of both Vogue and Harper's Bazaar in the mid-20th century. Opening on 5 October at the Osborne Samuel Gallery, in London's West End, Erwin Blumenfeld: From Dada to Vogue will bring together rare examples of his early images, including many never before displayed in the UK.
Examining his avant-garde roots, the exhibition follows the German photographer's career, from the Dadaist collages he created in Amsterdam during the 1920s to his introduction to the world of fashion in Paris, where his work caught the eye of Cecil Beaton. The images demonstrate how Blumenfeld pushed the limitations of the genre by using pioneering techniques such as double exposure and photomontage and showcase his output in an array of media, including black-and-white silver gelatin prints, solarised portraits and drawings. Together with a collection of his personal ephemera, it paints a picture of the progression of this remarkable artist.
"It's not possible to express in just a few words the importance of Erwin Blumenfeld's work, let alone its stand-alone beauty and resounding influence on today's image-makers," says curator Lou Proud. "It's fascinating how someone who did everything possible to stretch, bend and break the existing boundaries of traditional photography managed to create works that reach far beyond what we could ever dream the medium would and could deliver."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Erwin Blumenfeld: From Dada to Vogue is at the Osborne Samuel Gallery, 23a Bruton Street, London W1J 6QG, 5-29 October; osbornesamuel.com
-
3 officers killed in Pennsylvania shootingSpeed Read Police did not share the identities of the officers or the slain suspect, nor the motive or the focus of the still-active investigation
-
Fed cuts interest rates a quarter pointSpeed Read ‘The cut suggests a broader shift toward concern about cracks forming in the job market’
-
ABC shelves ‘Kimmel Live’ after Trump FCC threatSpeed Read ‘A free and democratic society cannot silence comedians because the president doesn’t like what they say’
-
Resistance: 'compelling' show captures a century of protestThe Week Recommends Turner prizewinner Steve McQueen curates 'fascinating' photography exhibition in Margate
-
Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron: experimental portrait photographythe week recommends Their careers are separated by time but joined by their shared interest in spectral, dream-like atmospheres
-
Chris Killip: Retrospective at The Photographers’ Gallery reviewThe Week Recommends Superb and timely exhibition features ‘beautiful and painfully moving’ images
-
Sport on TV guide: Christmas 2022 and New Year listingsSpeed Read Enjoy a feast of sporting action with football, darts, rugby union, racing, NFL and NBA
-
House of the Dragon: what to expect from the Game of Thrones prequelSpeed Read Ten-part series, set 200 years before GoT, will show the incestuous decline of Targaryen
-
Vivian Maier: Anthology – this MK Gallery show is ‘pure pleasure’The Week Recommends Exhibition marks first time that Maier’s photography has been shown in the UK
-
One in 20 young Americans identify as trans or non-binarySpeed Read New research suggests that 44% of US adults know someone who is transgender
-
Magnum Photos: Where Ideas Are Born – 20th century art icons in their studiosUnder the Radar An intimate look at modern and contemporary masters shot by legendary Magnum photographers
