Somerset House: A Positive View

“A positive view is a provocative exhibition which brings the best of 100 years of photography into collision, collusion and dialogue.”

Miss Aldridge, Cabaret #3, 2007           Horst P. Horst, Mainbocher, 1939

Such a grand setting as Somerset House is the perfect venue for this extravagantly extensive exhibition. Showcasing photographic works that span across the past 100 years from rare vintage prints to never before seen contemporary works, A Positive View is a treat not to be missed. On display you will find 130 works from a diverse range of artist including the likes of Irving Penn, Helmut Newton, Juergen Teller and Marc Quinn. The whole exhibition is masterfully curated, weaving between old and new, known and unknown and ranging across a vast variety of geographical representations including Korea, China, Japan and West Africa.

Malik Sidibe, Friends of the Spanish Press, 1968 – © Malik Sidibe, Courtesy of HackelBury Fine Art

The exhibition is being run in aid of Crisis, the UK’s leading homelessness charity supporting single homeless people. A special feature of the display is the ‘Crisis Royal Diptych’, comprising a new portrait of Prince William (Crisis Royal Patron) by Jeff Hubbard, together with an image of Jeff, taken by the Prince. Both photos were taken under the creative guidance of highly acclaimed photographer Ian Rankin and it is the first time a photograph taken by Prince William has been put on display. View a video of the photo shoot HERE.

All works, including the Royal Diptych will be sold at a live auction to be held at Christies, London, on 15^th April 2010. All proceeds raised will go towards benefiting Crisis. As well as raising money for their cause, the charity hopes the exhibition will “challenge preconceptions and raise questions: About the lives we dream of, the lives we live and what can be done to help those on the outside.”

The exhibition is currently on display at Somerset House’s Embankment Galleries and runs until 5^th April 2010. Admission is free. Auction lots are available to view online at www.christies.com/events

Fancy a Rank?…at the Old Truman Brewery

Last Thursday saw the opening night of celebrity photographer John Rankin’s epic retrospective exhibition at the Old Truman Brewery. Epic is no over statement; described as ‘museum scale’, the exhibition covers 22,000 square foot and includes over 600 of Rankin’s distinctive images from is archive. Rankin showcases a vast array of his work spanning  across his 22 year career. His subjects range from Kate Moss to the Queen with themes ranging from the bizarre to the erotic, cleverly curated within separated sectioned off areas. The exhibition goes by the title ‘Fancy a Rank’ and whoever came up with that cheeky line had a few more where that came from, ‘He came, he saw, he ranked’, ‘Rank OFF!’ and ‘I’ve been Ranking’ were all displayed on button badges handed out at the entrance on the night of the private view.

This is an ambitious and entertianing show from one of the world’s most talented celebrity photographers and is well worth a visit. The show is on at The Old Truman Brewery, 85 Brick Lane and runs for 7 weeks until 18th September.

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