Helmut Newton's 300-photo retrospective opens at Vienna's Kunstforum
The Bank Austria Kunstforum Wien in Vienna is currently showcasing a significant retrospective of Helmut Newton (1920–2004), marking the first such exhibition since 1988. Curated by Matthias Harder, this display features 300 photographs, including works that have never been shown before. Newton's journey in photography began in Berlin, but he fled Nazi Germany in 1938 and later continued his career in Australia, where he met his wife, June Browne. His rise to prominence was facilitated by Vogue in Australia, America, and France. In 1970s Paris, he depicted women as objects of desire, drawing inspiration from crime novels and film noir. The exhibition, which highlights celebrity portraits, will be open until January 15, 2023.
Key facts
- 300 photographs by Helmut Newton are on display at Bank Austria Kunstforum Wien in Vienna.
- The exhibition is the first Newton retrospective in Vienna since 1988.
- Curator Matthias Harder is director of the Helmut Newton Foundation in Berlin.
- Newton fled Nazi Germany in 1938 and started his career in Australia.
- He met his wife June Browne (Alice Springs) in Australia.
- His early work includes wedding photography and fashion catalogs for Vogue Australia.
- The series 'Naked and Dressed' references Goya's 'La Maja desnuda' and 'La Maja vestida'.
- Philosopher Susan Sontag accused Newton of sexism and misogyny in the late 1970s.
- The 'Pola Woman' series from the 1990s uses Polaroid images, anticipating Instagram.
- The exhibition runs until January 15, 2023.
Entities
Artists
- Helmut Newton
- Yva
- June Browne
- Alice Springs
- Raymond Chandler
- Alfred Hitchcock
- François Truffaut
- James Bond
- Goya
- Susan Sontag
- Romy Schneider
- Karl Lagerfeld
- Gianni Versace
- Andy Warhol
- David Hockney
- Pina Bausch
- Matthias Harder
Institutions
- Bank Austria Kunstforum Wien
- Helmut Newton Foundation
- Vogue Australia
- Vogue America
- Vogue France
Locations
- Vienna
- Austria
- Berlin
- Germany
- Los Angeles
- United States
- Australia
- Melbourne
- Paris
- France
- Ramatuelle
- Wuppertal