The Last Dolls: Bob Carlos Clarke's Dark Erotic Visions in London

A new exhibition entitled 'The Last Dolls' has opened in London, featuring the works of the late photographer Bob Carlos Clarke, celebrated for his impeccable, fetishistic erotic photography. This display is available from 5 to 26 September at Atlas Gallery, located at 49 Dorset Street, London W1U 7NF, in collaboration with The Little Black Gallery. Scarlett Carlos Clarke, his daughter, shares insights into her father's relentless quest for perfection, his darkroom experiments with Kodalith paper, and his attraction to intense, unpredictable subjects. The exhibition contrasts his nudes with still lifes of objects discovered in the Thames, creating a sense of menace alongside delicate flesh. Clarke, who took his own life in 2006 at the age of 55, battled manic depression and professional anxiety, feeling that his erotic art was undervalued. Comparisons to Allen Jones and Helmut Newton arise, along with feminist critiques of his objectification. Scarlett recalls her father's rebellious desire to 'burn it all', highlighting his iconoclastic spirit.