You are invited to the Museum of Photography in Berlin to view the work of the photographer from Poznań, recognized by Fashion TV during the Cannes Film Festival in 2013 as the World’s Best Black-and-White Campaign Photographer. Brodziak is the first Pole and the youngest artist to have his work shown at the temporary exhibit by the Helmut Newton Foundation.
Legendary figures Helmut Newton and Frank Horvat do not need an introduction. Newton was one of the greatest fashion photographers. Horvat is still a prestigious fashion photographer for many magazines.
"The desire of Helmut Newton, the founder of the Foundation, was that his work would be exhibited alongside other artists in the Museum of Photography in Berlin. This year’s exhibit will have a unique character since in addition to the works of legends—Newton and Helmut—we will also display pictures from an extremely talented young Pole. We will observe the artistic development of Szymon Brodziak very carefully, who is the youngest artist to ever be presented by our foundation. On the one hand, Brodziak seems to uphold the ideals of beauty in fashion photography, but on the other hand he seems to undermine these stereotypes. The dramatic aspect of his photographs make you feel like you’re watching a spectacular film." – says Dr. Matthias Harder, curator of the exhibition and representative for the Helmut Newton Foundation.
Szymon Brodziak publicly admires and appreciates Newtown’s work.
"I visited the Berlin Museum of Photography many times to see the work of Helmut Newton. I was also impressed by works of Frank Horvat, who for more than six decades has been the co-creator of modern photography. Therefore it is hard to believe that I am included in such an exception group in such a unique place. It is an honor, but also a commitment.” he said.
Black-and-White Reality
Szymon Brodziak mostly photographed women, and thirty of these pictures will be on display. He has taken photos for advertising campaigns, magazines, and calendars. He combines classic techniques with more modern and controversial ones by presenting his models in unusual positions. His photos are always in black and white. His photos prove that commercial work can also be art.
Newton. Horvat. Brodziak
Lovers of Helmut Newton’s photography eagerly await the exhibition. About 70 of his pieces in the exhibit have never been displayed before in the Museum of Photography. Frank Horvat’s work will be represented in Berlin by 200 small-format images, spanning many different genres and over 60 years in the project "House with 15 Keys". During the exhibit in Berlin Brodziak will present 35 of his large-format photographs, illustrating a decade of work and his artistic credo: "What you see is who you are".
Helmut Newton (1920-2004) was one of the boldest fashion photographers in history. He worked for famous magazines, such as Elle and Vogue. Often called the “King of Perversion”, he willingly put models in controversial scenes. Born in Berlin, but was a citizen of the world. He lived in Australia (where he served during the war and met his wife June), Paris, Monte Carlo, and Los Angeles. He died in 2004 in California. [www.helmutnewton.com]
Frank Horvat (b. 1928) rose to fame for his fashion series that were published in major magazines from the 1950s to the late 1980s. Since 1955 he has lived in France. Almost 20 years ago he gave up professional cameras for his preferred compact. He has always been involved in technological trends and was one the first artists to experiment with Photoshop in the 1990s. In 2011 he released an application called (Horvatland), which is an interactive tour of his 65-year career. [www.horvatland.com]
Szymon Brodziak (b. 1979 in Poznań) began as an economist but quickly gave up this profession for photography. He has won many prestigious prizes, including three gold medals at the Prix de la Photographie Paris 2012 for advertising campaigns and original projects. He also won the Johnnie Walker Keep Walking Award for his innovative photos and passion for new forms of beauty. In 2013 at the Cannes Film Festival, the jury for Fashion TV Photographers Awards determined that Brodziak was the world’s best photographer in the category of Black-and-White Advertising Campaigns. Released in 2014, the album "Brodziak ONE" won the Gold Medal in the Book category at the international Prix de la Photographie Paris competition. In Poznań he is the main artist in the Brodziak Gallery. [www.szymonbrodziak.com]
Source: Press releases, ed. AW