The Peter Lindbergh exhibition in Gagosian Gallery, Paris is a perfect example of an exceptional photography exhibition. Spread over two floors, this 30-year retrospective is the artist’s first solo exhibition in over a decade.
Taking inspiration from modern dance, early german and east european cinema and photography, in addition to his own personal history, Lindbergh is known for his raw, high-contrasted black & white photographs that tries to capture the subject’s soul (often the darkness of it) more than anything else. His compositions are simple and minimalist but the images are always rich and intense. There is incessantly something about his photographs that intrigues the eye of the beholder.
Upon entering the discreetly luxurious yet minimalist gallery, the first welcoming image is that of “Mathilde” (Paris,1989) – as if an ode to its hosting city. Stepping into a space of grand white walls where awaits contrast black & white blown-up images, each more than a meter high, we are forced to set foot into the world of the Polish-born photographer. And then further to the left two nude photographs of Karen Elson (Los Angeles, 1997) very closely hanged, one next to the other. Our eyes are almost systematically guided, from one photograph to the next by the distinction of blacks and whites, which are the only two colours present. More and more we are sucked into the Lindbergh universe as we continue on to the famous portrait of Kate Moss, simple and somehow innocently sexy (New York USA, 1994) and of course two close-ups of Linda Evangelista exhaling a cloud of smoke, transforming her dark, dramatic features into a hazy abstraction (Paris, France, 1990). 13 compelling photographs in total for the first part of the exhibition.
Upstairs is two rooms dedicated to smaller-scaled prints shot from 1988 to 2013 : from a giggling, nude Naomi Campbell wearing nothing but bangles to a flawless, topless Cara Delevingne lying on a rug. Displayed here are many of his timelessly iconic works for Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Interview and other international magazines. His fashion images are never just women parading in stylish clothes, they are shot with great artistic and cinematic sensibility. Milla Jovovich, Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore and Uma Thurman are some of the actrices whose portraits are present in this part of the exhibition. Also displayed are a couple of his “city” shots.
Whether or not the photographs were meticulously chosen in a particular order, there is definitely a floating coherence in the rooms. Furthermore, choosing not to show the information alongside the photographs is an excellent choice (instead, a laminated A4 paper with all the details can be obtained) as this is not only more aesthetically pleasing but also keeps the focus solely on the photographs. It’s the initial intention of going to the exhibition in the first place : to admire the celebrated Peter Lindbergh and his illustrious photographs. (Text Aishanatasha Adisasmita)
Peter Lindbergh, Gagosian Gallery Paris.
10 September – 22 November 2014