A Landmark Photographic Exhibition

Exhibition: 10th March – 6th April 2010 Somerset House
Private View: Tuesday, 9th March 2010
Auction: 15th April 2010, Christie’s, King Street, London

The must-see photographic event for London 2010, showcasing the finest 20th and 21st century photography from around the world

For one month only, from 10th March to 6th April 2010, A Positive View returns to showcase an extraordinary range of photography on a truly international scale, under the Royal Patronage of Prince William supporting Crisis, the homelessness charity.

The third edition of this fully curated, museum-scale photographic exhibition, to be held at Somerset House, will bring together more than 100 rare and signed vintage works across almost a century of photography; classic and contemporary works will cross a variety of genres, from still-life, fashion, landscape, portraiture and reportage. It will be followed by a Royal Gala reception and auction at Christie’s on 15th April, in aid of Crisis.

Two outstanding masterpieces by Henri Cartier-Bresson will be on show; his renowned Seville (1933) and the magical Queen Charlotte’s Ball, London (1959). Other highlights will include a rare landscape by Elliot Erwitt, Wyoming Steam-Train Press, (1954); Friends of the Spanish Press (1968) by the winner of the 2007 Venice Biennale Golden Lion, Malick Sidibe, a haunting image from Robert Polidori’s New Orleans series (2006) and Corinne Day’s iconic and first-ever seen photograph of the supermodel Kate Moss, Kate (1990). These will be shown along with a stunning still life of Francis Bacon’s Studio (2001) from Perry Ogden’s 7 Reece Mews series and Wim Wenders’ classic Lounge Painting, Gila Bend, Arizona (1987).

For the first time, A Positive View will also feature work from contemporary artists whose creative practice incorporates photography, with geographically diverse representations from Korea, China, Japan and West Africa.

With signature works by Seydou Keita, Yum Joongho, Bohn-Chang Koo and Weng Fen among others, A Positive View will provide an unusual and interesting opportunity to consider how practitioners beyond Europe and America are working with photography. In another departure, the 2010 edition of A Positive View will also include works by unknown photographers, all clients of the homelessness charity Crisis who have been studying photography at the Crisis Skylight, education, training and employment centres in London and Newcastle.

Exhibition Curator, Nadim Samman states: “As A Positive View benefits people on the margins of society, this exhibition brings together images of a notional ‘centre’ – social icons, home, the West – with peripheral visions. In some cases the display suggests their unsettling interdependence. At the same time, as with previous editions, A Positive View continues to showcase the achievements of leading photographers past and present.”

Each of the works donated by the photographers, or their representatives and estates, have been included in the exhibition following a stringent selection process by A Positive View Patrons, who include Philippe Garner, International Head of Photographs at Christie’s, and Tim Jefferies, Director of Hamilton’s Gallery, with exhibition curator Nadim Samman.

Patron Philippe Garner said: “This exhibition is truly international in scope and represents the contemporary vitality and authority of the photographic medium across many genres. I have spent forty years as a champion of photography and I find it very rewarding to be part of such a stimulating project – one that invites us to celebrate the medium for so very worthwhile a cause.”

The exhibition will be followed by a Royal Gala reception – co-hosted by Barclays Wealth and Vogue – and the charity auction of 100 of the most collectible works at Christie’s London on 15th April 2010 with 100% of the sales proceeds going to Crisis.

Leslie Morphy, Chief Executive of Crisis, said: “We are delighted that the third edition of A Positive View will be in aid of Crisis. The quality of the international work donated has been extraordinary and the generosity of the photographers and their representatives without rival. The exhibition also poses a unique opportunity for our clients’ creative achievements to be recognised on an international platform. Prince William’s interest in homelessness and generous involvement as patron is a key ingredient to what promises to be the most impressive A Positive View yet.”

A 200-page fully-illustrated coffee-table book will be published in March, and will be available for purchase from Somerset House, Christie’s internationally, specialist art bookshops and online (£25, March 2010). A limited edition, signed and numbered hardback edition will also be available (£100, March 2010).

To date works have been donated by photographers or their representatives below:

Berenice Abbott
Bryan Adams
Miles Aldridge
Dick Arentz
Eve Arnold
Richard Avedon
Enqrique Badulescu
Roger Ballen
Bae Bein-U
Lillian Bassman
Cecil Beaton
Denise Bellon
Harry Benson
Rut Blees
Liu Bolin
Julian Broad
Richard Burbridge
Edward Burtynsky
Byun Soon-Choel
Bob Carlos Clarke
Henri Cartier-Bresson
Cho Seihon
Chun Kyung-Yoo
Jim Cooke
Tom Craig
Corinne Day
Patrick Demarchelier
Susan Derges
Robert Doisneau
Terrence Donovan
Arthur Elgort
Elliott Erwitt
Weng Fen
Tierney Gearon
Oberto Gili
Goo Kang-Hong
Brian Girffin
Roderik Henderson
Thurston Hopkins
Horst P Horst
Frank Horvat
Tom Hunter
Stephen Inggs
Yousuf Karsh
Seydou Keita
Steven Klein
William Klein
Koo Bohn-Chang
Jacques-Henri Lartigue
Kurt Markus
Jean-Pierre Masclet
Don McCullin
Mert and Marcus
Ryan McGinley
Shelia Metzner
Min Byung-Hyun
Abelardo Morell
Helmut Newton
Simon Norfolk
Perry Ogden
Oh Hein-Kuhn
Gwon Osang
Norman Parkinson
Irving Penn
Matthew Pillsbury
Robert Polidori
Wan Qingsong
Mark Quinn
Rankin
Herb Ritts
Grace Robertson
George Rodger
Willy Ronis
Malik Sidibe
Peggy Sirota
Manit Sriwanichpoom
Mikhail Subotzky
John Swannell
Juergen Teller
Mario Testino
Tessa Traeger
Ellen von Unworth
Albert Watson
Bruce Weber
Wim Wenders
Amiran White
Yoo Hyum-Mi
Tim Walker
Angela Williams
Richard Young
Yum Joongho

Editor’s Notes:

A Positive View
This is the third edition of A Positive View, a photography exhibition and auction founded by Andrew Page.

A Positive View was first held in London during 1994, sponsored by Vogue. The exhibition was held at the Saatchi Gallery and the auction was hosted by Sotheby’s. The event raised nearly £250k, benefiting the Chicken Shed Theatre Company. The Princess of Wales was Patron.

This success was followed by a second A Positive View in 2000, sponsored by Getty Images. The exhibition was held at the Atlantis Gallery in the Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, and the auction was hosted by Christie’s, raising almost £250k for national youth charity Fairbridge. Princess Alexandra was Patron.

Each exhibition featured over 200 donated and signed works, 120 of which were selected for auction. Images were attracted from 14 countries including the UK, America, Canada, Russia, France, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Spain, Australia, India, Brazil, Peru and South Africa.

Works were donated by photographers, agents, galleries and foundations representing major names such as; Parkinson, Snowdon, Erwitt, Hoyningen-Huene, Stern, Weber, Lucas, Alvarez-Bravo, Sirota, Demarchelier, Elgort, O’Neill, Lartigue, Ritts, Hanson, Deakin, Lagerfeld, Weegee, Penn, Weston, Horvat, Karsh, Miller, Hardy, Brandt, Salgado, Bailey, Arnold, Arentz, Moon, Beaton, Donovan, Lategan.

Crisis
Crisis is the national charity for single homeless people dedicated to ending homelessness by delivering life-changing services and campaigning for change.

The charity’s award winning education, training and employment centres, Crisis Skylight, offer practical and creative workshops to over 3000 homeless people a year in an inspiring environment together with formal learning opportunities that lead to qualifications and finding work. The wide range of courses include art, drama, photography, literacy, numeracy and IT, help people to restore their well-being, regain confidence, develop their skills and raise aspirations.

Members of the photography class in both London and Newcastle have been trained to such a high standard that a selection of the best photographs produced will be included in the exhibition.

www.crisis.org.uk

Nadim Samman – Curator
Nadim Samman read Philosophy at University College London before completing a Master’s degree at the Courtauld Institute of Art, where he is currently pursuing doctoral research on the reception of post-Soviet art in the West.

He has curated exhibitions featuring critically acclaimed artists and photographers including Tarkovsky, Parr, Teller, Ray Jones, Sutkus, Ponomarev and Makarevich. His writing has appeared in publications including The Art Newspaper, Contemporary, Art India, Asian Affairs, Erotic Review, WestEast (Hong Kong), and Naked Punch.

He has previously lectured at the 798 Beijing Biennale (2009), The School of Oriental and African Studies, The Royal Society for Asian Affairs, Christie’s and The Courtauld Institute of Art.

Sponsors
The profile and legacy of previous A Positive View exhibitions have attracted an impressive line-up of blue chip sponsors and supporters ensuring all overheads are covered. 100% of all income will benefit Crisis

Sponsored by Barclays Wealth
Gallery partner GlaxoSmithKlein
Book partner Samsung
International carrier FedEx

Philippe Garner – Christie’s
Philippe Garner is a Director of Christie’s and the firm’s International Head of Photographs and 20th Century Decorative Art & Design. He has been professionally involved with photographs since co-ordinating the 1971 auction that marked the launch of this subject in the international art market. In the intervening decades he has brought to auction a great diversity of material including major collections such as those of Marie Thérèse and André Jammes, Paul Walter, Gert Elfering and Leon Constantiner. Philippe is well known as a passionate advocate of the medium and has published widely on various aspects of photography that particularly interest him. He has curated exhibitions in London, Paris and Tokyo.

Contacts:

For further information / Use of pictures / Interviews
Idea Generation: +44(0)20 7749 6850
Natasha Hoare: natasha@ideageneration.co.uk
Natalie Tacq: natalie@ideageneration.co.uk
A Positive View website
Crisis website
Somerset House website