Soho's god and monsters captured in new exhibition
A new exhibition pairs iconic portraits of British artists by Vogue photographer John Deakin with major paintings by each artist, providing a unique view of post-war British art and the artistic bohemia of London’s Soho.
Artists and subjects include Michael Andrews, Francis Bacon, John Craxton, Lucian Freud, John Minton, and Eduardo Paolozzi.
Until recently John Deakin has been missing from photographic history. His career began with Vogue but, despite achieving recognition for the photographs he took there he never took it seriously and never expected it to make him a living. Deakin’s bad behaviour was legendary and he remains the only staff photographer in the magazine’s history to be hired and fired twice by the same admiring but exasperated editor.
Deakin yearned to be a painter like his friends Francis Bacon, Robert Colquhoun, Lucian Freud and Michael Andrews. Gods and Monsters is drawn largely from a portfolio commissioned by Vogue in 1951 and 1952 of twelve contemporary artists, shown here in its entirety for the first time, along with other portraits of painters and sculptors Deakin made for the magazine at various times throughout his brief career.
Vogue has agreed to lend its vintage prints in their ragged state. Like so much of Deakin’s work, they are lucky to have survived him. They were only re-discovered in Vogue’s
archives in the early 1990s.
Deakin’s photographs, typically tightly-cropped headshots often greater than life-size, make no concessions to vanity. After pushing the contrast in his prints to its maximum every pore and blemish is exposed in intimate close-up.
Gods and Monsters: John Deakin’s Portraits of British Artists is at Pallant House Gallery, Chichester from 2nd October 2010 – 10th January 2011.
Artists and subjects include Michael Andrews, Francis Bacon, John Craxton, Lucian Freud, John Minton, and Eduardo Paolozzi.
Until recently John Deakin has been missing from photographic history. His career began with Vogue but, despite achieving recognition for the photographs he took there he never took it seriously and never expected it to make him a living. Deakin’s bad behaviour was legendary and he remains the only staff photographer in the magazine’s history to be hired and fired twice by the same admiring but exasperated editor.
Deakin yearned to be a painter like his friends Francis Bacon, Robert Colquhoun, Lucian Freud and Michael Andrews. Gods and Monsters is drawn largely from a portfolio commissioned by Vogue in 1951 and 1952 of twelve contemporary artists, shown here in its entirety for the first time, along with other portraits of painters and sculptors Deakin made for the magazine at various times throughout his brief career.
Vogue has agreed to lend its vintage prints in their ragged state. Like so much of Deakin’s work, they are lucky to have survived him. They were only re-discovered in Vogue’s
archives in the early 1990s.
Deakin’s photographs, typically tightly-cropped headshots often greater than life-size, make no concessions to vanity. After pushing the contrast in his prints to its maximum every pore and blemish is exposed in intimate close-up.
Gods and Monsters: John Deakin’s Portraits of British Artists is at Pallant House Gallery, Chichester from 2nd October 2010 – 10th January 2011.