ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Yves Saint Laurent's Flawless Surface Explored in ICP Exhibition

exhibition · 2026-05-20

The "Yves Saint Laurent and Photography" exhibition is currently being showcased at the International Center of Photography (ICP) on the Lower East Side. Curated by Simon Baker in partnership with the Fondation Pierre Bergé–Yves Saint Laurent and the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris, the exhibit features approximately three hundred archival items, including family photographs, magazine covers, and news articles, all arranged chronologically alongside various fashion portraits. Notable works by photographers such as Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton, and Guy Bourdin are included. In contrast, Olivier Meyrou's documentary "Celebration" delves into the personal struggles of Saint Laurent, who was born in Oran, Algeria, in 1936, began at Christian Dior in 1955, and launched his own label in 1962. He passed away in 2008. The ICP display, while visually captivating, raises questions about the unseen challenges behind the glamorous facade.

Key facts

  • Exhibition 'Yves Saint Laurent and Photography' is on view at the International Center of Photography (ICP) on the Lower East Side.
  • Curated by Simon Baker, organized with Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris and Fondation Pierre Bergé–Yves Saint Laurent.
  • Features about 300 archival artifacts and numerous fashion photographs and portraits.
  • Includes works by Richard Avedon, William Klein, Helmut Newton, Guy Bourdin, and Jeanloup Sieff.
  • Saint Laurent was born in Oran, Algeria, in 1936, and died in 2008.
  • He worked at Christian Dior from 1955 and founded his own house in 1962 with Pierre Bergé.
  • The documentary 'Celebration' by Olivier Meyrou was blocked by Pierre Bergé after a 2007 screening.
  • The exhibition focuses on the flawless public image, omitting the designer's personal struggles.

Entities

Artists

  • Yves Saint Laurent
  • Pierre Bergé
  • Olivier Meyrou
  • Richard Avedon
  • William Klein
  • Helmut Newton
  • Guy Bourdin
  • Jeanloup Sieff
  • David Bailey
  • Juergen Teller
  • Franco Rubartelli
  • Horst P. Horst
  • Barbara Rix-Sieff
  • Loïc Prigent
  • Simon Baker
  • Christian Dior
  • Dovima
  • Veruschka
  • Nastasia Alberti
  • Clémentine Cuinet
  • Irving Penn
  • Horst P Horst
  • Andy Warhol
  • Diana Vreeland
  • Vibeke Knudsen
  • Zoe Whitfield
  • Cecil Beaton
  • Annie Leibovitz
  • Gian Paolo Barbieri
  • Patrick Demarchelier
  • Bettina Rheims
  • James Moore
  • Dominique Issermann
  • Harry Meerson
  • Arthur Elgort
  • Jean-Claude Sauer
  • Christy Turlington
  • Naomi Campbell
  • Mounia Orosemane
  • Anna Karin
  • Edia Vairelli
  • Christa Fiedler
  • Iris Van Herpen

Institutions

  • International Center of Photography
  • Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris
  • Fondation Pierre Bergé–Yves Saint Laurent
  • Film Forum
  • C.F.D.A. Fashion Awards
  • Stade de France
  • FIFA World Cup
  • International Center of Photography (ICP)
  • Phaidon
  • Rencontres d'Arles
  • The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  • Costume Institute
  • Vogue
  • LIFE magazine
  • Vogue Paris
  • Dior
  • Marc Jacobs
  • Louis Vuitton
  • PetaPixel
  • Harper's Bazaar
  • Helmut Newton Foundation
  • Fondazione Gian Paolo Barbieri
  • Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute
  • Brooklyn Museum
  • LACMA
  • Yves Saint Laurent Foundation
  • Kering
  • The New York Times

Locations

  • New York
  • United States
  • Lower East Side
  • Paris
  • France
  • Oran
  • Algeria
  • Arles
  • 5 Avenue Marceau, Paris
  • Los Angeles
  • New York City

Sources