Open Air & Open Mind

From the early 1970s onwards, the internationally renowned artist Arthur Elgort (b. 1940 in NYC) made a lasting impact on fashion photography with his en plein air images, distinguished by their refreshing sense of levity and spontaneity. Elgort likes to orchestrate fashion where it really happens: mid-movement, in everyday scenarios. The resulting images are imbued with a special dynamism and authenticity.

It is an approach that not only connects fashion with reality, but also emphasises the personality of the respective model, and captures the atmosphere of the moment. By establishing a style that allowed for greater freedom, the photographer also helped broaden the expressive possibilities within the genre. 

The exhibition at the CAMERA WORK Virtual Gallery pays homage to Elgort’s significant contribution to the aesthetics and techniques used in fashion photography to this day, with a particular focus on his lesser-known portraits of fashion icons from the late 1980s to the present. The majority of the displayed works have never been exhibited before.