William Klein draw his inspiration from three of his photos chosen from the collections of the Maison Européenne de la Photographie. These are three vintage prints that revolutionized fashion photography in the 1950s by setting models in real-life situations, in the middle of the crowd. In these three photos, Klein freed fashion from the mendacious constraints of the studio, switching off the artificial studio lights and switching on the lights of the city, bringing Haute Couture closer to the general public: the man and woman in the street.
These three photos form the starting point for William Klein’s freely
composed exhibition at Polka. The second instruction we gave him was that he should do exactly as he pleased. This he did quite methodically – to our great delight.
19 november 2010 – 19 février 2011
Polka Galerie
Cour de Venise
12 rue Saint-Gilles, 75003 Paris
