Fashion is ephemeral, art is eternal.
—Oscar Wilde
The birth of fashion photography dates back to 1911, when pioneer fashion photographer Edward Steichen was challenged to render fashion as fine art by the publisher of prominent magazines, Jardin des Modes and La Gazette du Bon Ton. The images were dependent at first on the publications they appeared in, and it was not until the 1930s that photographers associated with Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar transformed the genre into an art form. Bold and experimental, inspired by Surrealism and the European Avant-Garde, photographers pushed boundaries and explored different approaches using drama, glamour and mystery in line with the designers’ vision. The status of fashion photography has since evolved, from fashion magazines to art galleries, museums and auction houses, with famous names selling regularly. Using new aesthetics and creating narratives that include a concept or attitude, the stories told go deep beyond the surface to a point that they are no longer about fashion per se. Today’s fashion photographers confront questions concerning identity, community and material culture. As such, fashion photography has shifted from selling dreams to creating them.
Founded in 2022 by curator Maya Benson, Bright Gallery promotes the work of emerging fashion photographers from around the world, including artists from France, Ghana, Israel, Japan, Nigeria, Spain, Vietnam and the United States. The exhibition presents works from the gallery collection, blurring the lines between the commercial, the editorial, and the personal. Creators of their own dreams, the artists are inspired by the aesthetics of the cultural and traditional climate in which they thrive.
Learn more: https://bright.gallery
Curator:
Maya Benson
Presenting artists:
Cécile André
Bernardo Baragaño
Chiron Duong
Javiera Estrada
Bade Fuwa
Andrew Matusik
Omri Rosengart
Shin Yatagai
Kweku Yeboah
