There may be 90 years separating the work of Edward Steichen and Viviane Sassen, but the approaches of each have changed the landscape of fashion photography, so it’s fitting that the Photographers’ Gallery should exhibit these two visionaries at the same time.
‘In High Fashion, The Condé Nast Years 1923-1937’ presents 200 prints by Steichen from the New York publisher’s archive. Already an established artist, with collaborations with French couturier Paul Poiret under his belt, Steichen took up the post of chief photographer for Vogue and Vanity Fair in 1923. Displayed chronologically and often clustered together in sets of two or four, the sepia prints offer an extensive overview of Steichen’s two main subjects, fashion and portraits. From the latest sandal to a 1926 headshot of World Heavyweight boxing champion Jack Dempsey, Steichen’s images capture the electric allure and elegance of the roaring ’20s. But it’s Steichen’s use of staged studio lighting coupled with considered compositions that feels effortless. It created a new visual language for subsequent generations of photographers.
That legacy is certainly evident in Viviane Sassen’s multimedia installation ‘Analemma’, which refers to the route of the sun’s path over the period of a year.It’s an unconventional display of constantly moving projected imagery. Lithe beauties wearing contemporary garb against urban backdrops or rocky landscapes travel over the gallery’s floor moving up, down and across the walls. The Dutch photographer’s unorthodox approach not only to the fashion campaigns she shoots but also how she presents her work, injects a much-needed alternative perspective on an industry often considered vacuous. Through Sassen and Steichen’s eyes, there’s more to fashion photography than models wearing haute couture. It’s a reflection of life in all its guises; it’s about character, vitality and vivacious eccentricity.
Freire Barnes