This exhibition is the fifth in the series ‘Starting a Photography Collection. Ten Exhibitions in Ten Weeks’; an ambitious programme of weeklong exhibitions in the run-up to the Photo London fair this May. This specially curated series covers a wide spectrum of photography from the nineteenth century to the present. This exhibition is a rare opportunity to acquire rare vintage prints from one of the iconic fashion moments of the 1960s; Jean Clemmer and Paco Rabanne’s famous collaboration, Canned Candies (1969).
The exhibition includes iconic original vintage photographs by Jean Clemmer, exploring fantasy, sensuality and haute couture in 1960s Paris.
In these iconic original vintage photographs by Jean Clemmer the utopian dreams of an era are captured beautifully, exploring the realms of science fiction and fantasy. Erotic images show the model as muse for French couturier Paco Rabanne’s famed futuristic rhodoid and aluminium chain-mail jewellery. The photographs were both styled and created by Clemmer. Depicting nude female models ‘dressed’ in Rabanne’s ‘unwearable’ fashions, these photographs epitomise the radical culture of sexual freedom of the 1960s at its apex in 1969. An exploration of the rituals of interplay between the female body and adornment, Clemmer expressed the ornamented human form as vehicle for sensuality, spectacle and pleasure through both performance and static pose. Capturing the essence of a lost era, these rare original vintage and limited edition contemporary prints offer a unique opportunity to acquire some of the most innovative images of the 1960s.
His radical collaborator Paco Rabanne’s designs were featured in iconic 1960s films such as Barbarella (1968) and his clothes worn and loved by stars such as Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot and Francoise Hardy.
Canned Candies was also groundbreaking for its use of black and Asian models. The publication Canned Candies was originally launched with a flourish of cocktails and naked dancers at the legendary Crazy Horse Saloon in Paris, sparking an immediate sensation. Original copies of the book have now attained cult status.
INFORMATION
James Hyman Photography Ltd
16 Savile Row
London W1S 3PL
tel. +44 (0)20 7494 3857
http://www.jameshymangallery.com
[email protected]
Open by appointment
