Between March 9 and June 10, 2018, the Cité de la Mode et du Design in Paris showcases the work of the iconic Swiss fashion photographer Peter Knapp, featuring over 100 photographs, for the most never exhibited before. This is the third part of the special edition of the Eye of Photography devoted to this trailblazing artist.
Fashion photography has been built around the female body. Peter Knapp portrays it with finesse, sobriety, and restraint. Femininity and sensuality exult in his images. Pleasure and desire, long turned away by magazines, now emerged through narratives shrugging off frustration. The ocean and the sky were the only limits for the new woman. A witness to this freedom, the photographer simply sought to register the brimming energies and the outpouring love of life. Classical poses and codes gave way to spontaneity. Unabashed yawning and improvised gestures contribute to the final image, which most often defies the expectations. Deliberately mischievous, the photographer is able to outwit his commission and the constraints it entails by poking fun at the “practices of the trade.”
Dancing in the Street:
Peter Knapp et la mode 1960–1970
March 9 to June 10, 2018
Cité de la Mode et du Design
34 Quai d’Austerlitz
75013 Paris
France
