TONE AND PERSPECTIVE

JUERGEN TELLER : WOO!

at Institute of Contemporary Arts

23 January 2013 - 17 March 2013

juergen teller is one of the most important photographers of our time. since the early 90's, teller has been operating successfully both in art world and in the world of commercial photography. this exhibition provides a seamless journey through his landmark work, presenting iconic image of celebrities such as lily cole, kurt cobain, and vivienne westwood. also exhibited are more recent series, such as irene im wald and keys to house, which reveal the photographer's more personal world in his hometown in germany and his family home.

teller's provocative interventions in portraiture subvert the conventional relationship of artist and model. whatever the setting, all his subjects collaborate in a way that allows for the most surprising poses and emotional intensity. driven by a desire to tell a story in every pictures he takes, teller has shaped his own distinct and instantly recognisable style combining humour, self-mockery and an emotional honesty.

this exhibit has constituted by his color and black and white pictures with his personal perspective and campaign for such as marc jacobs, celine with celebrities who described above. in the main place, down the little stairs, huge pictures of vivienne westwood in nude and kurt cobain in his own gig and sitting on the stage and playing with guitar greet us with insanely impression. i prefer this picture of kurt cobain in all of pictures in this exhibition. what i would to say as photographer is that the power which this pict has is there in black and white. that means power of origin which photography has. also, it show us a certain moment in kurt's emotion in his performance. i guess you can feel it and his concealed pain he had felt in living. and the three photographs of vivienne westwood is captured by mellifluous composition. and this picts also reveal her character so well. and in across these photographs, completely difference type photographs are there. in the forest, tree, and it's like a very conceptual works i think. and after that, so many picts for campaign and celebrities photos are there in one room. those picts are for campaign for marc jacobs and celine, also not only that, his personal perspective with people who in intimate relationship with him such as like a lily cole, chloe sevigny, harmony korine, and kurt cobain as well with books. and go up the stairs, big victoria beckham in the shop bag of marc jacob greet us. at that space, his own portrait and nude portrait of marc jacobs and lily cole also there. and the pict of kate moss in tricycle for agriculture also there.

this exhibition is very fulfilling content and being an one kind of like that want to go so many times. i'm so happy to what conducted this exhibition at london and in ICA. i might meet with someone at there?

words : Souichiro Ota

photo : Juergen Teller