Photo London 2022 to exhibit iconic photography

Photo London has unveiled its core line-up of exhibitors and galleries taking part in the fair’s seventh edition, to be held at Somerset House, London, from 12-15 May 2022.

The Photo London event is held annually and this year’s two key exhibitions focus on fashion photography with major solo showcases of the work of legendary fashion photographers Nick Knight and Frank Horvat.

Photo London has also announced that British photographer Nick Knight will be the seventh recipient of the Photo London Master of Photography Award.

The award is presented every year to a living artist who has made an exceptional contribution to photography.

Photo London’s Founders, Michael Benson and Fariba Farshad, said: ‘For over three decades Nick Knight has operated at the forefront of innovation. He has developed a reputation for pushing boundaries technically and creatively at every opportunity. He has consistently challenged conventional notions of beauty and throughout his career has worked on a range of often controversial issues — including racism, disability, ageism, and more recently fat-ism. All of this makes him the perfect choice as this year’s Master of Photography.’

Knight is the seventh photographer to receive the Photo Master of Photography Award. The previous recipients were Sebastiao Salgado (2015), Don McCullin (2106), Taryn Simon (2017) Edward Burtynsky (2018), Stephen Shore (2019) and Shirin Neshat (2021).

Nick Knight – photography, film & sculpture

As well as featuring many iconic images from Knight’s career as one of the world’s most influential and visionary photographers, the exhibition will also feature his work in film and sculpture.

Blade of Light for Alexander McQueen 2004. © Nick Knight

Commenting about his award and upcoming exhibition, Nick Knight said: ‘My quest has always been to use photography to show me things I could not see. Photography has been my passport into life, giving me access to people from all backgrounds and walks of life. The same skill set has allowed me to create films, sculptures, and now even virtual versions of our world and ourselves. From politics to AI I have been able to use the voice that photography gave me to present a vision of our future and find new ways of seeing the world. It’s a great honour to be given this award and I would like to use this occasion to demonstrate my enthusiasm for the future of image-making, and how incredibly important to realise it’s our purpose to show the world not just who we are but also who we want to be.’

Knight is well known for his groundbreaking creative collaborations with leading designers including Yohji Yamamoto, John Galliano and Alexander McQueen.

Nick Knight, Albion Barn, InstallationView, at Photo London 2021

Knight has shot advertising campaigns for clients such as Christian Dior, Tom Ford, Lancôme, Swarovski, Levi Strauss, Calvin Klein and Yves Saint Laurent, and award-winning editorials for publications including W, British Vogue, Paris Vogue, Dazed & Confused, AnOther, Another Man and i-D.

Homage to Frank Horvat

Photo London’s second major public programme exhibition takes the form of a homage to the legendary photographer Frank Horvat, who died in 2020.

Photo London’s Fariba Farshad and Michael Benson commented: ‘We are thrilled to be able to present the work of Frank Horvat in London for the first time in many years. We are deeply grateful to Initial Labo, who have supported the show, and to Frank Horvat’s daughter, Fiammetta, who has curated a wonderful tribute to her late father’s work. Thanks to them we are able to offer the London audience this once in a generation glimpse of the Horvat’s extraordinary and expansive oeuvre.’

Throughout a career that spanned over 70 years Frank Horvat was constantly experimenting and adapting to new technologies.

Frank Horvat auto portrait, Brick Lane Market, London, 1955. © Frank Horvat

In his fashion work Horvat created a realistic style of picture making that revolutionised the development of fashion-based photography in England, France, and the US.

His photographs have appeared in leading European and US magazines including Life, Elle, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour and Jardin des Modes.

The Photo London exhibition will re-introduce Horvat’s work to a London audience ahead of a major retrospective on the photographer’s work at the Jeu de Pame, Paris, that opens in June 2022.

Commenting on the Photo London exhibition its curator, Horvat’s daughter Fiammetta, said, ‘Thanks to Photo London, my father’s work will be celebrated and remembered in a city that mattered greatly to him. For the London exhibition we present two emblematic series that are a perfect illustration of Frank Horvat’s approach to photography: his fashion images where he introduced a sense of naturalness and spontaneity into the very sophisticated and mannered world of fashion magazines; and his images of Parisian cabarets where he finds poetry in the seedy nightlife of the city. In both worlds he proves photography can transform and transcend reality. What always matters is the eye and the intention of the photographer.’

The Power of Photography

Peter Fetterman Gallery (Los Angeles) is returning to the Fair with a special booth to launch The Power of Photography (ACC Art Books).

The book reflects the online project the gallerist conceived during the pandemic, where he published daily posts of his most cherished and intriguing prints from his collection.

With images by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Sabine Weiss and Steve McCurry, the selection includes some of the most heartening images from the 20th century.

Sarah Moon, Teresa S. 1996. © Sarah Moon, courtesy Peter Fetterman Gallery

Other exhibitors returning to Photo London include Goodman Gallery (Cape Town, Johannesburg and London) showing multi-media artist Mikhael Subotzky.

Reflex (Amsterdam) is bringing Todd Hido’s subversive work and Persons Projects (Berlin) will be presenting conceptual photographer Grey Crawford and Tina Itkonen’s dreamlike arctic landscapes.

Solo presentations

Several of Photo London’s regular visiting exhibitors will present important solo presentations.

Flowers Gallery (London) will have a solo booth dedicated to the work of Edward Burtynsky following his recent Outstanding Contribution to Photography accolade from Sony World Photography Awards 2022.

Robert Morat Galerie (Berlin) is to show a group of 10 new works by London artist Hannah Hughes – an artist who works across photography, collage and sculpture.

Parafin (London) is set to present London-based German artist Melanie Manchot.

Christophe Guye Galerie (Zurich) will showcase Marianne Maric, an artist producing cutting-edge photographic work inspired by the surrealist movement.

Echo Fine Arts (France) will place Tim Flach’s wonderful wildlife work centre stage.

Import Export (Poland) joins Photo London for the first time and will feature Mia Dudek’s work influenced by mass housing constructions and the global phenomena of urbanisation.

Historical photography

Photography from the past has always been an important element of Photo London’s curatorial fabric and this year is no different, with a number of significant presentations.

Roland Belgrave Vintage Photography Ltd (Hove) will showcase a portfolio of limited edition platinum prints of jellyfish by Jan C. Schlegel.

Robert Hershkowitz Ltd (London) returns to the fair and will feature a series of early masterworks by major photographers of the early 19th century, as well as a group of early photographs by and of women, including work by Julia Margaret Cameron, Augusta Mostyn and Caroline Nevill.

Corsetry, Solarised Photographs, Vogue Studio, London, England, 1942 by Lee Miller Gallery. © Lee Miller Archives

The Lee Miller Archives (East Sussex) will focus its booth on the Surrealist way of seeing in Lee Miller’s work, from Paris in the 1930s through to the many chapters of her life, including her time as a war correspondent.

Photographs by her husband, the Surrealist artist Roland Penrose, will also be featured.

Curatorial (LA) is bringing vintage work by Emil Otto Hoppe (including the photographer’s sideways glance at the English) and Paul Outerbridge.

Grob Gallery (London) will champion great black & white photography from the 20th century with a selection of fine vintage silver gelatin prints by Bill Brandt and André Kertész.

Discovery section

Photo London’s Discovery section is recognised as a world leader.

This year, Tim Clark – the writer, curator, lecturer and editor-in-chief of the online contemporary photography magazine 1000 Words – is acting as the curatorial adviser for Discovery.

A highlight for 2022 is Walter and Zoniel’s Rainbow Camera. It’s an interactive installation that will greet visitors to the Discovery section and invite them to photograph themselves pressed against a wall of rainbow coloured flatbed scanners.

Exhibitors returning to Discovery include artist-led platform Hi-Noon, which is bringing Melanie Issaka – a Ghanian artist known for her full body photogram self-portraits.

Open Doors Gallery (London) will be showcasing new poetic prints of everyday life by British photographer Max Miechowski.

The entrance to the Installation View at Photo London 2021

Nikon activities

With the support of its Official Partner, Nikon, Photo London will continue its Emerging Photographer of the Year award at the 2022 Fair.

The work of last year’s winner Heather Agyepong, together with shortlisted work by Almudena Romero (Fisheye Gallery) and Alia Ali (Peter Silem), will be shown at the Nikon space.

Alongside a full programme of workshops and talks, Nikon plans to create their own comprehensive digital section of the fair, covering all aspects of digital imaging.