on 22 February 2002
X'Mas by Bettina Rheims. Photo © the artist
Don’t panic, citizens of W1: Mapplethorpe this ain’t. Accessible art dealer eyestorm has raided its catalogue of limited-edition prints for an exhibition of images ‘inspiring reflections on desire and the physical form’.
Erwin Blumenfeld’s Technicolor nudes look amazingly fresh for shots dating from the 1940s. Ralph Gibson’s Leda, reducing Greek myth to an evocative tickle, has an irresistible deadpan cheekiness, while Greg Gorman’s monochrome males bask in the sharp glare of brilliant technique. For customers requiring more of a contemporary edge, Bettina Rheims’ ‘X’Mas Series’ (pictured) finds amateur models posing awkwardly amid kitsch room sets. Mystery and magic infuse David Levinthal’s Hopperesque scenes, shooting inch-high dolls at their own scale to create extraordinarily resonant tableaux.
With prices starting at the low end of three figures, this is a show to attend in the company of your chequebook.
adambanksdotcom @gbarl Bah, missed your Watchdog. Do they do it on iPlayer?