One of Britain’s most celebrated portrait photographers, Norman Parkinson’s lens captured much of the 20th century’s most recognisable faces and his work made its way into fashion’s foremost magazines. From the Royal Family, to Audrey Hepburn, to Jerry Hall, Parkinson’s imagery continues to inspire and influence three decades after his death. Using this iconic body of work alongside sculptures from artists Kathy Dalwood and Alice Mara that took cues from his work and a range of 20th century fashion documentarians, After Parkinson is a new multi-media exhibition celebrating 20th century fashion imagery.
On the desire to pair her work with Parkinson’s work, sculptor Kathy Dalwood said “while perusing the Parkinson archive I was surprised to find some interesting correlations with my own work. His placement and lighting of models often makes them appear statuesque, almost living sculptures; clearly, he had an eye for strong sculptural form.” Ceramic designer Alice Mara on the other hand found herself drawn to the stories you don’t see in the pictures, “My ceramic pieces have also always been made up of narratives, a fantasy place, an idea directed by me. I asked myself, what lies beneath Parkinson’s perfect pictures? What comes after the moment in time, caught on camera?” Ahead of its opening on September 23, get a sneak peek at the exhibition below.
After Parkinson is open 23 September – 2 October 2016 at The Union Club, Soho, London. More information here.
Credits
Text Ryan White