Sunday 21 November 2010

Two photographers























I'm not sure what the Michael Hoppen gallery were thinking when they decided to show photographs by Mary McCartney and Robert Bergman at the same time, and I'm not sure what I think either. I liked Mary McCartney's  beautiful, personal, subtle photographs of her rich and famous friends quite a lot. This one of Tracey Emin as Frida Kahlo is a triumph. But after going upstairs to view Robert Bergman's visceral portraits of what appear to be street people, my appreciation of the other pictures was eclipsed by a wilder feeling. I'm not convinced that the beauty in the ugly is morally superior to the beauty in the beautiful, any more than I am of the opposite. Perhaps this is precisely the point they were wishing to make. On the whole, though, I think the juxtaposition did Mary McCartney a disservice. Trying to keep the two exhibitions separate, then, I'm very glad to have seen both.

2 comments:

Hannah Stephenson said...

Hi Jean,

Just wanted to thank you for the kind comment over at Dave Bonta's post of our recent conversation. I appreciate you reading my work and listening to the interview, and am glad to have the opportunity to visit your site!

Unknown said...

i love Michael Hoppen Gallery's work...i think i saw some photos taken with Boca do Lobo's pieces. Great job. Both have an artistic work and combine very well. see you.