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CHARLES SAATCHIIN & OUT OF FOCUS IN CHELSEAPhoto: RICHARD YOUNG

Portraits by MICHAEL BIRTwww.michael-birt.com

“Divorce is notan option.”

MARK AND MICHAEL POLISHACTOR, WRITER, DIRECTOR

www.f22magazine.com 5

40 PERISCOPECheck out these hot

shows in PARIS

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Clare HenryKenn TaylorIan McKayWilliam VarleyGeorgina Turner

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EDITORMike von Joelmvj@f22magazine.com

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DESIGN DIRECTORTor Soreidets@f22magazine.com

ADMINISTRATIONJulie Milnejm@f22magazine.com

ADVERTISING EXECUTIVESJames Manning

c TOTALLY FREE, f22 is not a dull review magazine – it is about PEOPLE worth serious consideration;PLACES that are hot and happening; and PROJECTS that will interest photographers. Combined with STATEMagazine, f22 reports the fusion of art + photography like no other with a truly international perspective.

f22 is interactive. We value your recommendations.

Tell us: editor@f22magazine.com

To apply to stock f22 Magazine, emailJulie Milne: jm@f22magazine.com

C O N T E N T S | 07

f22 Magazine is available through selected galleries, libraries, art schools, museums and other art venues across the UK.

www.f22magazine.com

The key ingredient of this Summer Issue of f22 is a profile on the collector andgallerist, Charles Saatchi. We are privileged to have a cover image by the UK’semperor of celebrity portraits: Richard Young.

SAATCHI IS WELL KNOWN for his dislike of being photographedand most shots of him are candid snaps, captured on the street.Richard well deserved the four documentary episodes on Sky Artsthat celebrated his career from a fledgling paparazzo with Bailey &Litchfield’s Ritz newspaper to the respected portrait and event photographer he is today. Interestingly, Ritz, a collaboration betweenDavid Bailey and David Litchfield, still gets credited to Patrick

[Lord] Lichfield, the late society photographer – who, for once, was totally innocent!It was good to see that Young’s wife, Susan, was given proper credit for helping

Richard realise his full commercial potential and their new gallery project inKensington is well worth getting to know.

Sky Arts is rapidly becoming the channel for arts coverage. Photography and relatedsubject matter has been a staple in recent scheduling and some hypnotic material has been broadcast, mostly as hour-long, in-depth programmes, by independent film-makers who clearly approached their subject with a passion. For example: JamesCrump’s documentary about the intimacy between collector Sam Wagstaff and RobertMapplethorpe (Black White + Grey); and Paul Hasegawa-Overacker's wacky (but riveting) film diary on his short lived affair with the illusive Cindy Sherman (Guest of Cindy Sherman). Especially his run-in with Julian Schnabel at one gallery opening. Sky Arts has recently scheduled a host of quality, artist-led biographies that incorporatesome fascinating archive footage, and interviews impossible to repeat now due to thedeath of the subject. Henri Cartier-Bresson immediately springs to mind. And thechannel does not shy away from more controversial individuals, film profiles on Andres Serrano and Charles Gatewood being prime examples.

As STATE/f22 ever expands its range of participating distributors around the UK, theeditors always welcome a recommendation from readers for arts venues that mightstock and display the magazine packs. As ever, it’s delivered free – and free to give away!

Mike von Joel, Editor

E D I T O R I A L>>

Richard YoungCharles Saatchi. London

U RICHARD YOUNG was born in Londonand began a career as a freelance photographer specialising in the celebrityculture of the late 70's and 80's. LordSnowdon has described him as: ‘one of themost important photographers of 20thcentury’. Today Richard Young is acceptedas the leading celebrity photographer ofhis generation and in May was the subjectof a 4 part biographical series on Sky Arts.

©Richard Young/Richard Young Gallery

COVER IMAGE | ISSUE 07

19 EDGAR MARTINSAt Wapping Bankside 20 SHELF LIFE

New books of merit

16 GEARObjects of desire 18 LIVERPOOL

Biennial Time

06 IN FOCUS 09 GREAT UNSEEN PHOTOS07 SNAPSHOT 09 URLS COURT

A PEOPLE | PLACES | PROJECTS

10 IN AND OUT OF FOCUSCharles Saatchi and photography in Chelsea

PEN mini PEN Lite PEN

Models: Samantha Hicks and Kelly MacDermott; Equipment: PEN E-P3 and 12mm F2 lens. Venue: London

> GET IN THE ZONEThere you are walking down the street when you see a beautiful potential photograph but you left your heavy old SLR behind.

If only there was something smaller that could really deliver.

Photographers never seem to tire of discussing the pros and cons of compact systems versus SLR’s. It is tempting to zone out

at times but at Olympus, we’ve listened.

Compact system fans have told us that small size and low weight are critical to them but have been clamouring for fast MFT

prime lenses for added creative potential. DSLR devotees insist that there’s no middle ground if you’re after depth of field control

and quick fire reaction shots. We think they’re missing a trick. Let’s face it, most of us would rather not lug three kilos of body

and glass around if we could avoid it.

So we’ve achieved what everyone said was impossible. Allow us to introduce the Olympus M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 12mm 1:2.0,

which is equivalent to a classic 24mm street lens in 35mm terms. Thanks to our legendary optical skills you can get ultra-sharp

detail at maximum aperture. What's more it comes fitted with a snap focus ring with good old fashioned distance settings. So

now you can switch to manual focus and choose a zone in an instant; perfect for old school street shots.

And as the focusing speeds of the latest PEN range now match or exceed those of far larger and pricier SLR's you can switch

back to AF and still catch that all important moment.

But since pictures speak louder than words, take a look at the evidence. We used an E-P3 and the 12mm lens to capture this

beautiful image. And the best part? This lens is available now and will fit any Micro Four Thirds body, including the new PENs.

Don't worry, we haven’t finished listening but for now, go on, get in the zone.

NEW

M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 12mm 1:2.0

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AS ONE OF the hottest new London talents, Ann-MarieJames was born in 1981, has studied at Central SaintMartin’s and Chelsea College of Art & Design, and is about to graduate with an MA in Fine Art from WimbledonCollege of Art, but already she has developed quite a following. A recent show at Edel Assanti gallery was a sellout, and a forthcoming solo show at Karsten Schubert'sgallery in February 2013 is sure to shoot her career to stellar heights.

Ann-Marie's practice includes painting, drawing, photography and sculptural intervention, and involves the appropriation and transmutation of found imagery. Her latest body of work is based on the myth of Apollo & Daphne via Bernini's eponymous sculpture at the Villa Borghese in Rome and Ovid's Metamorphoses. She says: 'I love art and art history and what I love aboutbeing an artist is having the opportunity to appropriate elements of art works that I feel an affinity with, which

already have an established cultural reading, that I then wrestle with, adapt, play with, transform and manipulate, and then imbue with a new spirit to my own end'.

The results are sublime – complex layers of elegant limbs and gestural marks, the figurative and the abstract,in gorgeous grey-tones that make you love painting all over again.

h INFOCUS ANN-MARIE JAMES IMAGE & TEXT CARLA BOREL

The Nikon Fisheye Can See Behind ItselfINTRODUCED in 1970 at Photokina, it was the most extreme fisheye lens of all time, a10lb glass dome which dwarfs the cameraattached. The 6mm f/2.8 Fisheye-Nikkor lens,picture angle: 220º , weight: 5200g, is offeredby Grays of Westminster at £100,000. TheNikon 6mm lens prototype was never put intofull production, but was made to order from1972. Jeremy Gilbert, Group MarketingManager at Nikon UK says: ‘The 6mm f2.8 isan incredibly rare lens designed for scientificand meteorological use. It represents the pinnacle in design, from a time when lenseshad to be designed with a slide rule and individual ray diagrams. The lens does seeslightly behind itself at 220 degrees – yousee your feet in every picture!’ Source: AP

Iconic PhotographsDonated to TateVINTAGE PHOTOGRAPHS of London have beenpromised to the Tate. Created over twentyyears, the Eric and Louise Franck LondonCollection comprises some 1400 photo-graphs by 120 artists from the 1880’s to the2000’s. It also provides an important surveyof photographic processes like cyanotypes,albumen prints, silver gelatin prints andcolour prints. The subject matter is the livesand communities of a single city, London,and is valued at over £1million – the largestgift of photography ever made to Tate.Leading artists include Henri Cartier-Bresson,Bruce Davidson, Elliott Erwitt, Robert Frankand Irving Penn. The remaining work in thetotal collection will be acquired on a purchasebasis.

It follows recent gifts of photographs by Don McCullin, a major vintage print of London by Henri Cartier-Bresson as well ascontemporary film works by Tacita Dean andJaki Irvine. Source: Tate Gallery

ANOTHER LONDON:INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERSCAPTURE CITY LIFE27 JULY - 16 SEPT. LINBURY GALLERIES

From Henri Cartier-Bresson to Eve Arnold,Tate Britain will show over 150 classic photographs that depict the city and itscommunities from the 1930’s to 1980’s by photographers for whom London was a foreign city.

HHHHH

POSITIVE VIEW FOUNDATIONA not-for-profit organisation founded by Sir David Tang and Lady Foster will hold allits major exhibitions at London’s SomersetHouse, its official Gallery Partner. The inaugural exhibition is Henri Cartier-Bresson: the Legacy (8 November - 27 January 2013) a showcase of hisunseen experimental colour works along-side photographers including Martin Parrand Fred Herzog. The Foundation furtherexists to provide photography grants tocharities working with disadvantaged youngpeople and to encourage broad and dynamicdiscussion and debate. These eventsinclude its Annual Patrons Dinner and anAnnual Photography Symposium.

THE BOSTON MUSEUM of Fine Arts hasreceived a gift of 6,000 photographs, 100 works on paper, and 25 paintings from William Lane, a trustee and longtimefriend of the museum. It is valued at hundreds of millions of dollars. The donation includes the entire photographicestate of Charles Sheeler – 2,500 photographs – and the same number of photographs by Edward Weston.Complementing these are 500 photographs by Ansel Adams, and

100 each by Imogen Cunningham andBrett Weston, Edward’s son.

The Lanes were pioneering collectors inthe fields of early American modernistpainting and photography at a time whenneither field had much prestige. The ownerof a plastics manufacturing companybased in Leominster, William Lane waszealous about art, and set up the William H.Lane Foundation in 1953 to promote theartists whose work he collected. Source: Boston Globe

MAN RAY, a pioneering photographer andchum of Picasso and Dalí, died in Paris in1976, but what's left of his archive isstored in a car-repair shop on New York'sLong Island. This is the HQ of the Man RayTrust, 16 freezer-size vaults contain about4,500 works from the artist's estate including props Man Ray used to makesome of his experimental, camera-freeimages, called Rayographs.

Since Juliet Man Ray’s death everythinghas filtered down to her extended familyand the garage/shop, owned by Juliet’sbrother, Eric Browner. The 86-year-old onlymet Man Ray once, today, he manages15,000 copyrights and oversees licensing

contracts worth roughly $300,000 a year.Of late he has made approaches to theCentre Pompidou in Paris and theSmithsonian's American Art Museum inWashington; neither could pay Browner’s$20m asking price.

John Pritzker owns Man Ray's 1933 Glass Tears, a close-up of a woman's eyesurrounded by glass droplets – believed to be the first photograph ever to top $1m.New York's Roz Jacobs owns Le Violond'Ingres, a famous 1924 print of Kiki deMontparnasse, a pair of black F-holes onher naked back, as though she were a violin (estimated value: $3m). Source: Wall Street Journal

1 Man Ray Glass Tears 1933

1 James Barnor Mike Eghan at Piccadilly Circus London 1967 © James Barnor / Autograph ABP

1 Edward Tang and Tracey Emin

1 Lady Foster and Andrew Page

1 Richard Young and Sir David Tang

1 Bruce Davidson Girl with kitten 1960 (Detail)©Bruce Davidson/Magnum Photos

Massive Photo Gift From Trustee

Man Ray Archive Being Hived Off

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JO HEDWIG TEEUWISSE does notclaim to be wholly original with her historic composites – otherDutch photographers work in the same vein and the youngRussian, Sergey Larenkov, travelled extensively to locate thesites for his photo-fusions. ButJHT brings to her recreations acertain sensitivity born out of hervery real passion for the 1930’s,and a focus firmly on the ordinarypeople she portrays as opposedto the harshness of wartimeevents.

Amsterdam-based Teeuwisse has created a life where the pastis her present – literally. She hasdeliberately recreated the late1930’s as her day-to-day

lifestyle, from clothing and the interior of her home, to her job asa historian and archivist.[1] She is a familiar sight on the streets ofAmsterdam with her authentic,30’s apparel and vintage bicycle.

‘I went to Film School and was afilm/TV director and writer for awhile. Everything I worked on had a historical theme...’, Jo recollects.

But it was an overridingpassion that was to completely

take over her life: ‘One day I just got rid of everything modern.’

The basis of this particular project was a cache of some 300negatives found in a flea market.Jo identified the locations andtook a contemporary shot beforeusing Photoshop to marry the twoimages together, and to dissolvethe intervening 60+ years, whichin turn will maybe make people‘realise that the past is all aroundus and that things happened where they are walking, wherethey live, where they work’.

‘I would love to see photos like this made across the worldand then displayed on that

spot so people are confronted with the past of a location thereand then.’

It sounds an ideal proposition foran Augmented Reality venture?

WHAT HAPPENS when one of therichest companies in the worlddecides to launch an interactivewebsite about contemporary artsand global lifestyle, previewing thelatest in fashion, art, film, music,architecture and design, travel,sport, and gastronomy?

That company is Moët HennessyLouis Vuitton (aka LVMH) whoseluxury brands stretch from TAG Heuer to Givenchy, fromGlenmorangie whisky to CloudyBay wine; Christian Dior and

Guerlain fragrances; and LouisVuitton, the French maker of laminated canvas handbags.Vuitton was just named the world’smost valuable luxury brand for aseventh consecutive year and iscalculated at around £17 billion,about a third of LVMH’s marketcapitalisation of some £50 billion.

That website is callednowness.com, launched in 2010and editorially independent ofLVMH, and is quite brilliant. Eachday, it showcases collaborations

with the world’s foremostdesigners, creatifs and thinkers in the luxury industry, offering aneat resource for high-end fashionand culture (including a Chineselanguage version, all content isoptioned in both English andChinese).

In 2011, nowness.com won aWebby Award for Best FashionWebsite, WWD Japan’s BestFashion Media Award and a ClioAward for Best Interactive Website.You can receive tailored story recommendations based on whatyou Love/Don’t Love as well as linkvia Facebook. Nowness is an open

platform and staff actively encourage contributions, something they might well cometo regret in the near future. Butmeanwhile – log on and enjoysome interesting art and photography stuff.

nowness.com

Now or NeverURLS COURT | LINKS

‘Amsterdam-basedTeeuwisse has created a life

where the past isher present –

literally’

h GREAT UNSEEN PHOTOGRAPHS

Bernard Arnault CEO of LVMH

6. What is the first photographic image you canremember and why?I immediately think of the Belgrano sinking in1982 during the Falklands conflict. That is myfirst real memory of photography changing me.

12. What made you to decide to open not one -but three - specialist photography spaces inCentral London?I launched Proud Central in 1998. We had greatsuccess in that small venue – some amazingexhibitions, fantastic launch parties, lots ofattention from the media – and we were havingtoo much fun to stop! Next came Camden andthen Proud Chelsea on the King’s Road.

18. Do you have a common philosophy for thethree galleries or are you trying for individualidentities.It's been a very organic process. Each of the galleries has found its own specialty. Chelsea is rapidly becoming a serious collector's venue,selling to major names in the industry andattracting top photographers to exhibit.

24. What would your ideal exhibition be?... to find unseen material from one of the topfive or ten legendary photographers. It canhappen, it's bloody unlikely, but I think that's the fantasy.

30. What should the would-be collector look forin a photograph (or indeed, a photographer)?First and foremost: something you love andwant to live with. Second, the vintage. Third, asignature. These are the three steps I alwaysfollow with my own collection.

36. There is a fusion today of art and photography, has pure photography been marginalised by this?Certainly not! It has grown massively as aresult. With the rise of those other digital techniques, people are increasingly drawn to pure photography.

42. In commercial terms, is there a perceiveddivide between film and digital – a sort ofbefore and after aesthetic?For some collectors, but I see no difference inthe market.

48. What did you learn from your previouscollaboration with the photographer, Rankin?Rankin taught me to go with your gut, be brave, be passionate and not to worry what anyone thinks. I learnt a lot from that partnership.

54. Do you own a camera and do you take photographs yourself? (if no please explainwhy not)My old Olympus OM-10 has seen better days.However, I love the camera on my iPhone4S. It allows you to be completely spontaneous(something else I learnt from Rankin) which Ithink is probably more important to an amateurthan the camera. I also like my Leica Compactbecause it's fast.

60. If we could gift you [any] single image inthe world – what would it be and why did youchoose it?Ansel Adams is a poet. His work is something I never grow bored of.

ALEX PROUDBrighton-born Alex Proud spends a lot of time at theCamden outpost of his empire, where his ebullientpersonality is perfectly able to deal with the cut andthrust of music club excess and extreme rock‘n’rolldisorder. The other aspects to his business are muchmore sober and two serious photography galleries,Central, just off the Strand and also in Chelsea’s King’s Road, have been quietly building a solid reputation with consistently innovative, quality exhibition programmes.

With thanks to Liz Thornhill at Central. Alex’ image byAndy Fallon courtesy Proud Gallery.

60 SECONDS EXPOSURE

‘Moving forward by looking back’ALEX PROUD

The photo-montage work of Jo Hedwig Teeuwisse

1 Ghosts on Stairs at Nieuwe Looierstraat 24 1 Jo Hedwig Teeuwisse

NOTES1. Researching daily life before and during the Second World War, also interviewing eye witnesses and recreating certain aspects of history togain a unique insight into that era.

LINKSwww.hab3045.nlwww.flickr.com/photos/hab3045

OTHER LINKSwww.diplopic.nlsergey-larenkov.livejournal.com

STAGED DURING Britain’s recent ‘Super Moon’, a series of spectacularspirographs were created by environmental artist, Jamie Wardley, who travelled to Cayton Bay in NorthYorkshire. ‘My team used flame lampsand torches to create the light effects in a process called light painting. This is a

long exposure technique used to createimages that use no digital tools. The crewwere moving so quickly they remainedinvisible. ‘Personally I find this temporaryart refreshing – each time I create a drawing, it’s like started anew.’ www.sandsculptureice.co.uk

Light Painting in North Yorkshire

Grin and GlamourTHE GLAMOROUS first lady of London,Pinkietessa, has assembled a portfolio of photographs and short videos to give a breath of life to that most redundant of guides – the A-Z of London. Forget GPS, all you need is to navigate byPinkietessa’s London landmarks andyour journey will be one of romance andhistory. For those who enjoy moving pictures, the A-Z series is on YouTube,click on ‘videos’ to screen the A-Z shorts.You can see all the vids on Pinkie’s site also. Hollywood pzazz in drab oldLondon Town.www.youtube.com/pinkietessawww.pinkietessa.com

2012 Kraszna-KrauszAwardsBest Photography Book Award: CarletonWatkins The Complete MammothPhotographs, Weston Naef & ChristineHult-Lewis. Getty Publications.Best Moving Image Book Award:Concentrationary Cinema: Aesthetics asPolitical Resistance in Alain Resnais'sNight and Fog, Max Silverman & GriseldaPollock, Berghahn Books. An OutstandingContribution to Publishing award wasmade to UK publisher Dewi Lewis. Thewinners were announced during the SonyWorld Photography Awards at the LondonHilton, Park Lane, on Thursday, 26 April 2012.

Holga Gimmick for iPhoneA ROTATING DISK equipped with 9 different lenses for the iPhone! Just fit it over the back of the phone and voilà:phoneography. It's like having nine toycameras in one: just spin the disk andposition the lens of choice over theiPhone's camera: Dual Image Lens –makes 2 identical images in one frame;Triple Image; Quadruple Image; MacroLens; Red Filter with Clear Heart ShapeCenter; Red Filter; Green Filter; YellowFilter; Blue Filter and Holga Hole – a softlo-fi vignette around your image. Previewthe effect on your screen, then fire away!Holga iPhone Lens Filter Kit SLFT-IP4Available from shop.holgadirect.com

1 Dewi Lewis

1 Miss Pinkietessa Q is for Queen Square

1 Joel Ingham 2011. Courtesy Jamie Wardley

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The Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea’s King’s Road is now a world class exhibition venue. Photography is an integral part

of the programming and Out of Focus gives space to 38 artists currently subverting the medium.

TEXT MIKE VON JOEL | ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF THE SAATCHI GALLERY, LONDON | ILLUSTRATION ALASTAIR GRAHAM

7 Mohau Modisakeng Untitled 2010 C-print on watercolour paper © Mohau Modisakeng, 2010

UST PRIOR to the Great War, a bluff American appeared at the cutting edge of the Paris art world– then indisputably the epicentre of modern painting. Albert Barnes had made his fortune out of medicine and pharmaceuticals but, in

his early 30’s, dedicated himself to his realpassion – art. Having serious money and anatural eye, and with plenty of attitude,Barnes mingled amongst fellow ex-pats inthe French capital, notably Gertrude andLeo Stein, with whom he met Henri Matisseand Pablo Picasso. Later, the art dealer PaulGuillaume would introduce Barnes to thework of Giorgio de Chirico, Chaim Soutineand Amedeo Modigliani, amongst otherembryonic giants of 20th century painting.Barnes subsequently acquired 69Cézannes, 60 Matisse works, 44 Picassosand 181 Renoir pictures. Eventually, the2,500 items in his collection would includemajor pieces by Rousseau, Modigliani,Soutine, Seurat, Degas and van Gogh.Today the Barnes collection is valued at 20 to 30 billion US dollars.

Famously ‘shy’ and irascible, in 1925Barnes formed a foundation and privategallery which encouraged ordinary peopleand students in to view the works – thenconsidered very avant-garde – whilst combating antagonism and ridicule fromthe US art establishment. He personallyhung the galleries and specified the configuration of each room in detail. Localsteelworkers were allowed easy access,but those he considered from the self serving art ‘establishment’ fared less well.TS Eliot’s request for admission wasfamously rebuffed with one word: Nuts.

It is difficult to think of the BarnesFoundation and its idiosyncratic founderwithout Charles Saatchi springing to mind.Both men, highly creative personalitieswith a true passion for painting and thenotion of art as a redeeming humanprocess, have similar life trajectories.

Unlike Barnes, Saatchi came from awealthy family – of Iraqi entrepreneurswho relocated as refugees to North Londonin 1947, when Charles was only four. Fastforward to the mid-60’s and Charles was a fledgling copywriter in the London advertising business – an exciting Pop Artworld where the Mad Men ethos was stillprevalent. Here he met his future wife,Doris Lockhart, an American credited bysome with igniting his latent passion for art– which Saatchi himself declares wasawakened by seeing a Jackson Pollockpainting in New York. Doris has beendescribed as ‘a sophisticated woman who

spoke several languages, knew a greatdeal about art and a graduate of theSorbonne’. They married in 1973 after fiveyears together. Lockhart had a particularpenchant for Minimalism at this time andthe first acquisitions the pair made werefrom this school, sourced primarily fromthe Lisson Gallery. Charles’ own first purchase was reputedly by Sol LeWitt, a very minimal minimalist.

Paying the PiperBy 1970 and at only 27 years old, Saatchi,along with brother Maurice, was running hisown agency, one that was to be regardedas epitomising the new international

culture of media manipulation: Saatchi & Saatchi. Charles Saatchi was a gifted copy-writer and still retains a practised skill with words and language, his recent publications are wonderfully droll andamusing – also highly incisive andinformed.(1) Back then Saatchi was nomarathon lunch man. Ad-guru, JohnHegarty, remembers his tireless drive forsuccess: ‘Charles was completely manic,’he says. ‘At CDP they were writing greatads and then disappearing for a three-hourlunch. If you did that at Saatchi you werethrown out. We worked with a fantasticintensity.’

Being fiercely competitive is a trait Saatchishares with the aforementioned Dr. Barnes(who boxed, and played semi-professionalbaseball). Saatchi plays tennis, races go-carts and you beat him at table tennisat your peril. And as with Barnes, thefamous ‘shy’ act is no more than a convenient way to avoid dealing with

people he is neither interested in, orrespects. Also like Barnes, Saatchi isinvolved in every detail of an exhibition hisgallery presents, hanging each show with a professional confidence and sure eye(‘...if I didn’t have the pleasure of planningand installing shows, and doing it betterthan anyone else, I would have stoppedbuying art many years ago’).

Given Saatchi’s driven nature it must havebeen a serious blow when in 1994 thebrothers, surfing on a wave of some 20years of industry adulation, were forcedout of Saatchi & Saatchi in a shareholderscoup. Their 1987 attempt to take over

Midland Bank had ignominiously failed, but it’s pretty sure that what didn’t fail wasCharles Saatchi’s harsh lesson in what happens when the ‘establishment’ decidessome upstart needs taking down a peg ortwo. Bureaucracy in England is passiveaggressive in nature and overweeninglyincompetent in practise. It detests enterprise and success unless sanctionedby the few for the few. However, it was alesson well learned for when the British art ‘establishment’ tried the same tacticssometime later, Saatchi outmanoeuvred it with ease. With typical brio the brotherswere up and running within the year, atM&C Saatchi, generating new industry legends (hiring an empty office block for the day and filling it with actors as‘employees’ to impress British Airways)and taking some of the former S&S brandswith them. The rest is ad-land history and the 2012 Sunday Times Rich Listconservatively estimated the brother’swealth at £130 million.

Collector? Dealer? Patron? Philanthropist?But Charles Saatchi has maintained a parallel career since the 1970’s. Once thereal cash began to roll in, he was able to do what most of us would love to do –buy the art we like and acquire multiple examples of the artist’s work. Saatchi didthis on an industrial scale from the late1970’s onwards. By 1985 he had enoughto fill a stadium gallery space – and so hecreated one. The Saatchi Gallery opened inBoundary Road, St John’s Wood, London, a former paint factory of some 30,000square feet. The launch exhibition was heldthat March and featured American minimalistDonald Judd, painters Brice Marden and Cy Twombly – and Andy Warhol.Reportedly, a UK first for Twombly andMarden. Subsequent exhibitions wereequally visionary and bravura performances.Legend has it that the Richard Serra exhibition sculptures were so large that thecaretaker’s flat was demolished to makeroom for them. The gallery also enabledRichard Wilson to find a home for his piece20:50, a room entirely filled with sump oil,which has since become a permanent,shrine-like feature of the Saatchi collection.

The Boundary Road gallery was a stunningspace and the public were welcomed infree of charge to experience the works.Boundary Road successfully fulfilled thecriteria of any art gallery worthy of the title:to elucidate, educate and facilitate – and itdid not cost the taxpayer a cent.(2)

As with Howard Hughes, Greta Garbo andRandolph Hearst, Saatchi’s personal inaccessibility to the media and publicmicroscope has resulted in him taking onmythical status. It’s a clever schtick thathas served him well. But his considerableachievements and repeated public-spiritedgenerosity (in sharp contrast to his wheeler-dealer nature) are there for all to see.(3)

Young British ArtistsSaatchi was allegedly one of the very few visitors to the now mythical Freezeexhibition staged by artist/friends fromGoldsmith’s College (Steven Adamson;Angela Bulloch; Mat Collishaw; IanDavenport; Angus Fairhurst; Anya Gallaccio;Damien Hirst; Gary Hume; Michael Landy;Abigail Lane; Sarah Lucas; Lala Meredith-Vula; Richard Patterson; Simon Patterson;Stephen Park; and Fiona Rae). Collishawshowed the now famous outsize photo of agunshot wound to the head (actually littlemore than a direct rip-off from AustinGresham’s Forensic Pathology handbookand, in fact, a knife wound). What struckSaatchi about the YBAs then was the attitude and indefinable essence of ‘now’.His subsequent support of this teen spirithas become the stuff of art history.

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J

‘...nothing is as uplifting as standingbefore a great painting whether it was

painted in 1505 or last Tuesday.’CHARLES SAATCHI

((

KING OF THE ROAD

1 Saatchi Gallery Int.: Work by Mat Collishaw © Stephen White. Out Of Focus

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It leap-frogged Damien Hirst to star statuswhen Charles funded and purchasedHirst’s outline concept, sketched on theback of a beer mat, for a huge killer sharkswimming in a vitrine of formaldehyde.

In 1997, Saatchi’s YBA collection became a block-buster Royal Academy exhibitionentitled Sensation. With the benefit of hind-sight it was possible to see, encapsulatedin this single word, just how percipientSaatchi-as-curator had become as contemporary art morphed decisively intoa branch of the entertainment industry.

The Slow Road to ChelseaBut Charles Saatchi is not infallible. Thedrive and ambition for his ideas to becomemanifest, seasoned with that old refugeecliché of always feeling the outsider (particularly acute in class-obsessedBritain) has led to errors of judgement. InApril 2003, the Saatchi Gallery moved toCounty Hall on the South Bank. One canonly imagine the joy of sticking it to theapparatchiks from the very core of the establishment heartland – and, coincidentally, slap between the two Tategalleries. A great location – but totally

useless as a gallery space – with endlessdark wood panelling and stultifying leaseconditions. A lengthy, fractious battle withthe landlords (Shirayama Shokusan Co.and Cadogan Leisure Investments) endedin a court defeat for Saatchi’s operatingcompany and a glare of unwelcome, invasive publicity. And the School of Saatchi(BBC2), a sort of Opportunity Knocks (theypreferred X-Factor) for wannabe artists –despite being fronted by Charles’ elegantmuse, Rebecca Wilson, who graciouslylowered her sights considerably – rapidlyturned into a pantomime.(4)

The criticisms levelled against CharlesSaatchi are, on the whole, based on envyand resentment. He is accused of makingmarkets with his buying policies – an

integral aspect of the art trade since the Renaissance. He is accused of irresponsibly ‘de-accessioning’ works back onto the market – as opposed to disappearing them into permanent storageas most museums and municipal galleriesdo today. In a world where the monetaryvalue of any single artwork is tied to itspublic pirouettes, it is virtually impossibleto run an organisation that acquires andexhibits art without it having some effecton its perceived value. Perhaps the biggestconfusion is how Saatchi is repeatedlyaddressed as if he were some sort of publically funded institution. In a way thisis a compliment to brand Saatchi, but hisadventures are always paid for by his ownresources and skill – and it is this that irritates the art world’s bureaucrats, moreused to absolute control though their highlyselective patronage. And the fact that, historically speaking, he has consistentlypredicated significant new directions incontemporary art that national institutionshave repeatedly failed to engage with.

Grand Old Duke of York’sIt must have been with immense satisfaction that Charles Saatchi opened

the new Saatchi Gallery on King’s Road,Chelsea, in 2008. Some 70,000 squarefeet, in the historic Duke of York’sHeadquarters building adjacent to SloaneSquare; easily accessible, trending, andtotally beautiful to behold. It is a triumph.The building was refurbished by architectsPaul Davis + Partners and Allford HallMonaghan Morris to provide 15 equally-proportioned exhibition spaces; each cool, light and restrained. The inauguralexhibition was typically inspiring, TheRevolution Continues: New Art From China,24 young Chinese artists in a survey ofpainting, sculpture and installation. And it is again free to the public, thanks to a collaboration with hot-shot auction house,Phillips de Pury & Co.

Contemporary Photography RevisitedUntil 22 July, the Saatchi Gallery is presenting a survey of new directions in camera art selected by Charles Saatchihimself, with input from Rebecca Wilson. Itis ten years since their last major review oftrending photography, I am a Camera, itselfa controversial event due to the inclusionof Tierney Gearon’s images of [her own]

naked children (once a common sight onBritain’s summer beaches).

Now, the selectors (‘curator’ is not a popular word at the SG) address the currentissues of camera art – the overwhelmingvisual cacophony of images being force-fed to a defenceless audience; the fusionof the photo image with painting, drawingand information channels; indentifyingself; making sense of tribal and culturalimperatives; and anything else thateschews the traditional concerns of photograph as documentary record. Thethirty-eight artists from 13 countries seemstrangely cohesive, or maybe they arelinked by Charles Saatchi’s particular eye.(5)

The work is disparate, but it is linked by theartists’ own desire to break rules, play withboundaries and traduce the ‘what you getis what you see’ readings of individualimages. It is about indication.

In the calm confines of the Saatchi Gallery,each work has nowhere to hide and theinnate qualities of the strongest (Grannan;Stezaker; Utsu; Robertson; Agbodjélou;Wermers; for example) shine through. ButOut of Focus is not a matter of good or bad,

it gives the opportunity for voices to beheard, to be presented as well as they areever going to be presented. In a world ofincessant visual noise these images getthe chance to be considered singularly,uninterrupted. The impetus in photographytoday is to create an image that will grabthe attention, create a frisson, have somesort of immediate impact. It’s a battle without rules. There are 38 belligerents atthe Saatchi Gallery spoiling for the fight.

In June 2012, Charles Saatchi will be 69years old, living near the Chelsea gallery,and happily married for the third time to acook. His art business has evolved andtoday – through exhibitions, the trulyincredible Saatchi website, and other multiple opportunities that offer youngpeople a chance to engage with the practise of image making – is an integralpart of British culture. What the gallery’shead of development, Rebecca Wilson, hasdescribed as: ‘the aim to make art moreaccessible to the mainstream, rather thanan exclusive artworld pursuit’, has beenachieved. Whatever Charles Saatchi hastaken from the contemporary art business,it is self evident he has repaid it in spades.

No doubt turning down a knighthood will be a pleasure yet to come.

P.S.In 2010, Saatchi announced the ChelseaGallery would be renamed MoCA London(Museum of Contemporary Art, London)and be gifted to the nation – along with significant artworks – when he retires. Todate nothing has been finalised but thenews press have reported that the galleryis ‘currently in discussion with potentialgovernment departments’ and that allcosts will be covered by the museum itself and by the gallery’s own sources ofincome, which would include private sponsorship, the restaurant and shop.

Leonce Raphael Agbodjélou Untitled (Vodou Series) 2011 C-print © Leonce Raphael Agbodjélou, 2011 5

PROFILE CHARLES SAATCHI

NOTES1. My Name is Charles Saatchi and I am an Artoholic.Phaidon. Be The Worst You Can Be. Booth-Clibborn Editions

2. When 98a Boundary Rd was sold to a developer for‘14 luxury homes’ it realised [a reported] £10 million.

3. Gifts: 2000: 40 works by young British artiststhrough the National Arts Collection Fund. 2002: 50artworks to the Paintings in Hospitals program. 2003:Saatchi gave modern sculptures to the Arts Council(including Richard Wilson and Marc Quinn) adding to100 pieces by 64 young British artists given in 1999.

4. A Princess Production in association with Rare Day.Commissioned for BBC 2 by Jacquie Hughes.

5. Out of Focus: Michele Abeles; L. RaphaelAgbodjélou; Olaf Breuning; Jonny Briggs; Broomberg & Chanarin; Elina Brotherus; Anders Clausen; MatCollishaw; JH Engström; Mitch Epstein; AndreasGefeller; Luis Gispert; Daniel Gordon; Noémie Goudal;Katy Grannan; Matthew Day Jackson; Chris Levine;Matt Lipps; Ryan McGinley; Mohau Modisakeng; LaurelNakadate; Sohei Nishino; David Noonan; MarloPascual; Mariah Robertson; Phoebe Rudomino;Hannah Sawtell; David Benjamin Sherry; BerndnautSmilde; Meredyth Sparks; Hannah Starkey; A.L.Steiner; John Stezaker; Mikhael Subotzky; YumikoUtsu; Sara VanDerBeek; Nicole Wermers; JenniferWest; Pinar Yolaçan.

LINKSwww.saatchigallery.com

OUT OF FOCUS: PHOTOGRAPHY

25 April - 22 July 2012

KOREAN EYE 26 July - 9 Sept 2012

1 Hannah Starkey Untitled - August 1999 1999 C-type print ©Hannah Starkey, 1999

1 A.L. Steiner Queer Is The New Black 2008 Portfolio of 77 C-prints © A.L. Steiner, 2008

1 Nicole Wermers Buhuu Suite (Calais 2) 2011 C-print, stainless steel clips, clip frame © Nicole Wermers, 2011 1 Ryan McGinley Tree #3 2003 C-print © Ryan McGinley, 2003

1 Saatchi Gallery, ex-Duke of York’s HQ

KING OF THE ROAD

16 www.f22magazine.com www.f22magazine.com 17

GADGETS | GIZMOS | GEAR EDITED BY TOMAS KIPPANOOSKI

SIGMA GOES MICROh MICRO FOUR THIRDS that is – now you can fit two more lenses at reassuringly affordable prices tothose lovely Olympus Pen and Panasonic bodies. Sigma has just announced two exciting new optics for the Micro Four Thirds range of cameras. The 19mmand 30mm lenses both feature a fast f/2.8 aperture,aspherical lens elements and rounded diaphragms forthe ultimate in image quality. Another great feature is the newly developed linear AF motor which movesthe lens elements directly without the need for gearsor the drive of other mechanical parts. This systemensures accurate and silent auto focusing, makingthem perfect for video recording. Great value lenses.More details at www.sigma-imaging-uk.com

SEEING RED h IF YOU SIMPLY MUST HAVE that red logo then try this for size – the Leica D-Lux 5 Titanium Special Edition.This elegantly designed compact camera, with its sophisticated, anodised silver-grey finish, comes presented ina special set with a premium grey leather case and shoulder strap. The high quality zoom lens is suitable for awide variety of situations including wide-angle landscape and macro photography, whilst the 10.1 megapixelsensor is unusually large for a compact model, producing images with outstandingly natural colour rendition,superb sharpness and high contrast. The exceptionally fast maximum aperture makes it an ideal camera for‘available light’ photography. With clearly laid-out menus, easy operation and full manual settings, this versatilecamera offers intuitive handling in all photographic situations, as well as a high performance 1280 x 720 pixelHD movie recording feature. Guide Price: £855. www.leica-camera.co.uk

A CASE OF ONE-UP-MAN-SHIPh FUJIFILM and Globe-Trotter unveil a worldwide exclusive at Harrods Technology. Fujifilm has teamed up with luxury British luggage manufacturer, Globe-Trotter. The two companies have collaborated to create a limited edition, Vulcanised Fibreboard suitcase for the latest in Fujifilm’s coveted X series, the much-anticipated X-Pro1. The Vulcanised Fibreboard suitcase is handmade on original Victorian machinery at the Globe-Trotter factory inHertfordshire, with the brass rivets, locks and tan leather trim contributing to its luxury aesthetic. Each case hashandcrafted compartments to house the X-Pro1, the flash, filter and the camera’s three lenses and lens hoods:18mm, 35mm and 60mm. Just 12 units are being sold exclusively to Harrods Technology, priced at £5,695.

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGHh THE 2012 TIPA AWARD for Best Rugged CompactCamera went to Pentax for the The Optio WG2. With or without the GPS feature (geotagging) the WG2 is protected against drop damage up to 1.5 metres (5 feet)and withstands weights up to 100 kilograms (220 LBF).

Use underwater for depths up to 12 metres (40 feet) or in cold conditions, down to -10° C (14° F). With a 5x optical 28-140mm (35mm equivalent) zoom, the back illuminated 16 MP CMOS sensor enables HD stillphotography as well as Full HD movie recording (1920 x

1080 pixels) at 30 fps with high quality H.264 compression.The Optio WG2 also features the new Handheld Night Snapmode, which captures four images of the same scene,then produces a single blur-free, composite image fromthem – all automatically. www.pentax.co.uk

STEADY AS YOU GOh GITZO’S modular Systematic tripod range has alwaysbeen the choice of professional photographers using longlenses and heavy equipment. Now the whole family hasbeen redesigned to give even higher levels of strength,stability, safety, set-up speed and ease of use. The latestSeries 2 tripods are even more easily transportable forthose looking for added convenience, utilising space-agematerials such as high strength, lightweight aluminiumalloys, carbon and basalt fibre tubing and cast magnesium. The redesigned Gitzo Systematic tripodrange, launched in January 2012, has already won a 2012 Red Dot Design award. www.gitzo.co.uk

TRENDING RETRO – MOD TECHh THE REACTION from a wide range of photographers was overwhelmingly positive when the Olympus OM-D made its UK public debut in March.A classic, retro design hides cutting-edge performancein a body that delivers the same size and weight benefit over bulky alternatives as its film-based predecessor did 40 years ago. Barely larger than thePEN series on which the technology is based, the OM-D manages to cram in an electronic viewfinderthat is so good you will forget you are using it –except it offers the major benefits of showing a ton ofimage information and control options if configured.An all-new sensor and processor combination ratchetup the noise and dynamic range performance to levelsthat compare to the APS format, whilst maintainingthe size and weight advantage of the Micro Four Thirdssystem. Also new is a groundbreaking 5 axis imagestabiliser built into the body that helps with stills andvideo. On top of all that, it’s weather proofed –something owners of the high end Olympus E-Systemcameras have been clamouring for. Discrete and quiet enough to use for candids, the OM-D will go in acoat pocket but if you like to look the part there is agrip/battery pack combo that beefs up the appearance– it adds a chunky grip for those with fat fingers anddoubles the battery life. Initial tests, including the firstmajor one in What Digital Camera magazine, havebeen glowing but you have to hold it to experience it.Selected stockists now. www.olympus.co.uk

SOUND & VISIONh GOOD VIBRATIONS. Video on a still camera is trendingas the sensor size and lens options provide such accessible creativity. However, many still cameras arestill let down by the audio quality so a separate recorderis essential. Olympus have almost unwittingly pluggedthat gap with the LS Series born out of their expertise inmobile speech products. Initially, it was with single trackmachines (like the original LS-10) setting new standardsin the ‘studio quality in your pocket’ category for recording live music or mobile sound for mixing later. The latest Stereo PCM (uncompressed file format) machine from Olympus is the LS-100 and it can offerrecording for two independent, simultaneous tracks. Micup two people separately during a recording – or perhapsone for dialogue and one for ambient. You can even mix up to 8 tracks on the machine without having to go backto your laptop. Or simply use it to capture superior soundon location with this truly portable device. Look cooooolfor under £400. www.olympus.co.uk

h PORTABLE LINEAR PCM RECORDER with HD video. It's just what Marty and Quentin always wanted!HD Sound + HD Audio The perfect companion for photographers capturing high quality audio and HD movies, the LS-20 records superior to CD quality soundwhile shooting professional movies. Capture anything,anywhere, with this compact pocket device. Unique in itsdesign, the LS-20 is slim with stylish good looks and practical functionality. Shoot movies from the top of thedevice to steady your style and capture new angles, flipthe screen to shoot overhead and capture great visualand audio in one. The LS-20 is essentially a mobile studiothat records 24bit/96kHz PCM – better than CD quality.Combine this with full HD movie at 1920 x1080 pixels (30 fps) and image stabiliser and you can live life poisedfor ‘action’. Keep a check on both audio and visual recordings with dual LCD technology, dedicating individualscreens for audio information and filming. For ultimatecreativity, play around with the movie effects which include rock, pop, sketch and pin hole for a unique professional feel recording. Olympus LS-20M

www.f22magazine.com 1918 www.f22magazine.com

WAPPING PROJECT: EDGAR MARTINS

PLACES LIVERPOOL

1 Untitledfrom the series Landscapes Beyond: The Burden of Proof (Part II), 2007 © Edgar Martins

1 Lindoso Power Station: Machine Hall from the series The Time Machine 2011 © Edgar Martins

7 Do Ho Suh Bridging Home 2010 Commissioned by Liverpool BiennialPhoto: Thierry Bal

5 Laura Belém The Temple of a Thousand Bells 2010 Commissioned by Liverpool BiennialPhoto: Alex Wolkowicz

1 Sally Tannant Artistic Director 2012

5 Untitled (Atlanta Georgia)from the series This is not a House, 2009© Edgar Martins

E ARE SITTINGcomfortably at Wapping Project Bankside, Australian wine in hand. Carefullybrandishing a bulky book – Edgar Martins’

and then displayed on that The TimeMachine – Geoff Dyer skillfully pitched his droll introduction then, sensibly, handed the arena to Edgar Martins. Forthere's articulate and there's hyper-verbal:Edgar Martins comes galloping at us withboth. A steady patter and consistent charmcomfortably engages his audience. Add tothis a vital demeanour and the fortunatephysique of a scented dandy with thelooks of a could-be actor, and you have apretty good picture of Edgar Martins, ArtistPhotographer extraordinaire. Portuguese-born, a childhood in China, living in the UKsince 1996, his eloquence is starred witharound-the-world references, and tunedinto the academic debates of someonewho has attended London art schools.

I first came across Edgar Martins’ distinctive photographic images when Ireceived a landscape of Iceland from hisseries Landscape Beyond: The Burden ofProof. An expanse of speckled, eroded, barren rocks in pastel grey are cut acrossby a fume river, rendered precious in puffy pink with blue tinges. That is mydescription of the image. Here is part ofMartins’ own explanation of it: ‘...fragilelandscapes stage cultural dramas. It is the

setting for spatial and temporal dislocation.Space echoes with prophetic resonance. Itcarries a message of time: the vanishingnow. (In this) poised turbulence... I set out to create a topographical inventory ofmountains, rivers, roads, volcanoes, etc.,inspired by early 18th century pictorial traditions and evocations of the sublime.But for all its historical evocation, this workis fraught with anxieties about ruin. (It) notonly deals with the physical death of specific landscapes but also with the deathof landscape as a pictorial theme.’ This is a lot for an image to take on.

More recently, photographs from TheTime Machine present geometrically displayed work interiors within human-lessvoids. It’s salutary stuff, not nostalgic butsanitary. Edgar Martins lends a clinical

attachment to these industrial interiors; his intense light inspects the spit and polished spans of neutral colour. Theseinteriors are in fact a topographic survey ofhydro-electricity generating plants in 20locations across Portugal, mostly built inthe optimistic 1950’s and 1970’s whenthings were ever keen, ever more efficient.For Geoff Dyer, Martins has, with theseworks, invented a time category: ‘a retrospective future as it might have been conceived fifty years ago’.

Wapping hydraulic power station was thedramatic setting for Martins' This is Not aHouse series, now touring. The New YorkTimes Magazine commissioned Martins toaddress the collapse of the American housing market and duly published hisimages in Summer 2009. Then it transpiredthat Martins had digitally altered his pictures so as to play with certain politicalthemes, such as the myth of America as a nation of settlers. Offence and outragefollowed and the NYT scrapped the imagesfrom their website. On his Facebook page,Martins has a video that defends his case(posted 1st November 2011). It is worthwatching to observe his verbal dexterityalone (the posting on 26th December, aeulogy to his friend Anton Hammerl, killedin Libya, is very moving).

Wapping also included some witty imagesfrom A Metaphysical Survey of BritishDwellings. A windowless house that refuses light is islanded by a yellow

cordoned road signage, its dull brickworkpolished to a smooth brown. These houses are not logical but they do indeedmake metaphysical sense: in reflecting a claustrophobic non-existence, a serendipitous un-life, the placid threat of thudded silence.

With his concentrated lighting, enhancedcolour, directive lines, contrasts and symmetries, Martins makes up a spacelike an actor prepares his face. The imagesare carefully stage-managed, with eachnuance in place, nothing left to chance. In his series on airports at night, Martinspaints with light: refined patterns of rigidand crack-soft textures infuse strikingpotency into his static images.

Most enjoyable, though, is the humourthroughout Martins' work, epitomised bythe photographs in The Accidental Theorist.In these, a narrative element is introducedby a rare appearance of homo sapiens. Thishumour exploits time-spatial conundrumswith bold, intense light-strokes and cleanprettiness. The overall effect createsatmospheres that are strange, kind oftempting... and probably not good for you.

PROJECTS WAPPING BANKSIDE

W

LINKSwww.edgarmartins.com

EXHIBITIONThis is Not a House: a touring exhibition of photographs by Edgar Martins9 May - 30 June 2012 Wapping Project Bankside, 65a Hopton Street, London SE1 9LRwww.thewappingprojectbankside.com for tour details

7th LIVERPOOL BIENNIALFor ten weeks every two years in the city of Liverpool. The festival comprises the InternationalExhibition, the John Moores Painting Prize, theBloomberg New Contemporaries Exhibition and the Independents Biennial.15 September – 25 November 2012

LINKwww.biennial.com

The Portuguese wunderkind enthralls the UK TEXT GEORGINA TURNER | IMAGES EDGAR MARTINS

7th LIVERPOOLBIENNIAL

ESPITE having arrived just a few months ago, to a festival which began planning as far back as 2010, Tallant has already made her influence felt: ‘Many of the artists had

already been selected, but nothing wasconfirmed when I arrived. I’ve mainlybeen focusing on shaping the curatorialcoherence of the Biennial across our programme partners.’

This year’s Biennial theme, ‘hospitality’,which unites all of the disparate artists,works and exhibitions, was already inplace when she took over. HoweverTallant has re-focused this down furtherto ‘the unexpected guest’.

‘The notion of a guest is interesting,’ shesays, ‘we’re guests in the city, the artistsare our guests. The art itself is a guest.The notions of hospitality; how long doeshospitality last? How long are you willingto offer that? It’s very interesting alsowith the way in which Liverpool is transforming itself into a tourism andleisure orientated economy.’

When the Biennial began, Liverpool wasyet to undergo its vast redevelopment orwin the European Capital of Culture title, astatus aided in part by the Biennial itself.This is something which has placed boththe festival and the city at the centre ofthe debate around arts-led regeneration.Tallant sees this as the LiverpoolBiennial’s key point of difference from allthe other art festivals in the world:

‘Liverpool has an amazing history ofarts-led regeneration, going back a verylong way. I think it’s absolutely crucial toinvolve artists, writers, philosophers, andpoets, in thinking about how a city rein-vents and builds itself. In particular inLiverpool, a post-industrial city, where it’s possible to ask questions around thevalue of art and its role in urban contexts.’

The Biennial takes over virtually all ofLiverpool’s cultural venues, along withnumerous public realm interventions andtemporary sites across the city. In thepast, because of this vastness, the festival has been criticised for lackingcoherence. This is something Tallant hasbeen focusing on since her tenure began:

‘I’ve been working closely with my colleagues to ensure that when peoplecome to Liverpool, they’ll experiencesomething that feels very fluid, integratedand coherent. I’m thinking about theBiennial as a period of time. So it lasts tenweeks, but has eleven weekends. We’vedeveloped themes programmed with content for each weekend, so each onewill be a mini festival in itself.’ Many of the artworks in this year’s

festival will be kept under wraps till nearerthe event, but one project Tallant canreveal continues Liverpool Biennial’s tradition of interventions into the publicrealm, literally bringing contemporary artout into the streets:

‘We’re working with an Israeli artistcalled Oded Hirsch, who is making a verylarge-scale intervention into LiverpoolOne. It is a sculptural work that will appear

to burst through the very fabric of theshopping district and it will be asking aquestion around “what are those places?”and what is it that lies beneath. I think itwill be a very uncanny interruption intothe everyday.’

Despite the scale and scope of theLiverpool Biennial, the festival has still often lacked critical attention orrecognition and this is also something

Tallant wants to address. ‘If you look atthe artists that we’ve had in the Biennial,’she says, ‘it’s incredible really. Some themost important contemporary artists ofour time and there’s been a few hundredof them. What we haven’t always done iscommunicated that. So I am building onthe existing partnerships the Biennialhas, but also bringing in stronger ones, I hope, that I have built up by working inLondon for the last 15 years.’

One of her key aims is to highlightLiverpool as the ‘UK’s Biennial’ and toemphasise its international role: ‘By positioning us as the UK’s Biennial, I think we’ll be able to work more productively in terms of collaborationwith other partners in the UK, as well as thinking about strong research partnerships internationally. Building on the idea of research with other cities in the world facing similar issues toLiverpool in terms of post-industry and the necessity for rethinking aroundurbanism and reinvention.’

In September, the seventh Liverpool Biennial, theUK’s largest and most visited visual arts festival,will take place in a city and a global environmentvery different from its first edition in 1999. With former director Lewis Biggs moving on, the Biennialhas just appointed a new Artistic Director and CEO,Sally Tallant, formerly Head of Programmes atLondon’s Serpentine Gallery. TEXT: KENN TAYLOR

D

1 Edgar Martins Courtesy Nuno Fox

www.f22magazine.com 2120 www.f22magazine.com

1 Downtown Los Angeles. 1965 Hopper’s camera of choice at this time was the Nikon F loaded with Tri-X film. An ideal tool for street photography which performed well in low light conditions as well as sunlight. His street shots

have been compared favourably to Robert Frank’s seminal work: The Americans.

HE AMERICANphotographer Bob Willoughby (1927-2009) had captured many leading ladies as a Hollywood studio snapper

(his big break was to photograph JudyGarland during the filming of A Star isBorn in 1954). But it is every celebrityphotographers’ dream to build an intimate professional relationship withunique access to a major star. WhenWilloughby met the Belgian-bornactress, Audrey Hepburn, such a relationship was formed. In 1953 shewas a novice starlet doing publicity forher first Paramount success, RomanHoliday (her ‘dearest movie’), butWilloughby was entranced withinmoments of shaking her hand. From

that Oscar-winning US initiation, to the pinnacle of My Fair Lady in 1963,Willoughby recorded the winsomebeauty at work and in the intimacy ofher home and private life. It was one ofthe great creative, platonic love affairsof the lens and its subject.

Willoughby’s camera captures the very essence of the movie business,the grind behind the glitz, and the pressure on a woman trying to survive in a cut-throat and unforgivingindustry. Hepburn fans will be sorry to see that her other iconic film,Breakfast at Tiffany’s, 1961, is excluded for no apparent reason, but her captivating portrayal of ElizaDolittle in My Fair Lady is well represented here with many on-set

candid shots. The large format doesjustice to the full page reproductionsand, as Willoughby notes, she mightbe covered in grime for the part butshe still sprayed herself with ‘$100 an ounce Joy perfume’. Hepburn wasat all times exquisitely chic, Givenchybeing a perennial, favourite designer.This may have a lot to do with her wretched childhood in Nazi-occupiedEurope and her experience of real and personal deprivations.

Throughout her marriages –Mel Ferrer (1954–1968), Andrea Dotti(1969–1982), and partner until herdeath, Robert Wolders (1980–1993)– children and semi-retirement,Hepburn welcomed Willoughby’scamera into her personal domain. She worked tirelessly for UNICEF laterin life, dying in Switzerland of cancerin 1993, aged 63.

A Los Angeles native, Bob Willoughbybecame one of the premier celebrityphotographers of his day – when allstars were from the movie world,taking memorable snaps of Marilyn

Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and JaneFonda. He is latterly credited withgiving the movie-still the gravitasof the photojournalist, and paving the way for many great names to follow (for example, the Magnum photographers on the set of TheMisfits, ten years later). After a longperiod in Ireland, Willoughby lived inVence, France, where he died of canceron 18 December 2009, aged 72.

HE BRITISH fell in love with the first C4 television series of Mad Men, that urbane look at the world of Madison Avenue advertising at the dawn

of the 1960’s. Brooks Brothers suits,button-down collars, with Chivas Regal on tap all day and martini lunches – against a backdrop of beehive hair and stiletto heels – whatwas there not to like? The current series has not done so well following amove to Sky Atlantic (creator MatthewWeiner left it a little bit too long) but the time gap was plugged neatly by aTaschen boxed twin pack: Mid-CenturyAds: Advertising from the Mad MenEra, surveying the Fifties and Sixties.

Marshall McLuhan noted that ‘advertising is the cave painting of the20th century’, and the imagery andtheoretics of visual manipulation in theprint media does make for interesting reading, as the static Fifties dissolved

into the swinging decade of colour magazine supplements – and thenmorphed again into commercial television. That halcyon period –before television’s sixty-second

‘mini-movies’ – spawned its own galaxyof heroes and milestone images. In the USA, it was Bill Bernbach (1911-1982) of Doyle Dane Bernbach. His pioneering campaign for Volkswagen

(‘selling a Nazi car in a Jewish town’ -George Lois) is the stuff of legend. Inthe UK, it was heroin addict RobertBrownjohn (1925-1970) actually bornin the US of British parents. He workedfor McCann Erickson in London, wherehis graphic sensibilities were heavilyinfluenced by the Bauhaus and László Moholy-Nagy.

The accent of these volumes is essentially American, a world leader inthe whole concept of ‘advertising’. Asthe Sixties opened for business, thegraphic artist remaineda key ingredient of printads, and leafingthrough the pages of volume one (TheFifties) it is not difficult to see whereCalArts graduate EricFischl got started.Pioneered by the NewYork Times, by the time the colour supplements were launched in the UK(in 1962, Sunday Times) photographywas the dominant element and worldclass lensmen were tempted in by theexcessive amounts of money availablein this brave new world. Ads becamefull page, as opposed to small etchedblocks, and full colour in responseto the developments in lithographicprint technology.

The overwhelming dynamic was: smoking, drinking and eating. With a21st century eye the images seemoverwhelmingly sexist in the MeTarzan – You Jane idiom. But the real

gems still have the power to surpriseand engage. Ads then were as they are now – aspirational – it is just that aspirations have changed. But whathas not changed is the basic fact thatads work! ‘Running a business withoutadvertising is like winking at a girl inthe dark’, said S.H. Britt, ‘you knowwhat you are doing, but no one elsedoes!’ As television ushered in a global market, where image quashedlanguage as the prime element, a newbreed of mad men emerged. But thefrontier days were over. ‘There is no

such thing as a golden time’,says UK ad-guruJohn Hegarty, ‘if you have an idea it can transform theindustry –anytime’. Maybe so.

But remember the days when: ‘AndyWarhol flies Braniff...’

EDITED BY CHARLES KANE

A THING OF BEAUTY

MAD DOGS ANDAD-BIZ-MEN

TTCapturing Hollywood starshine

Those days of wine and roses

‘The overwhelmingdynamic was:

smoking, drinkingand eating.’

7 Climbing into the studio car atParamount Studios after her photo sessionwith Bob Fraker. 1953

5 Photographer Bob Fraker lookingthrough his camera at Audrey at Paramount Studios. 1953

1 Martini & Rossi 1958 Fashion photography is the new influence on aspirational magazine advertising 1 Pontiac 1958 On location photography that reinforces the brand image

1 American Airlines 1953 The graphic artist reigns supreme

AUDREY HEPBURN: PHOTOGRAPHS 1953-1966 Bob WilloughbyTaschen. HB. 280pp. £44.99In English, French & GermanISBN 13: 978-3836527378

1 Audrey (Eliza Dolittle) escorted by Wilfrid Hyde-White (Col. Pickering) to the Ascot Races in My Fair Lady. 1963

MID-CENTURY ADS: ADVERTISING FROM THE MAD MEN ERA Jim Heimann, Steven HellerTaschen. HB. 2 vols. in slipcase, 720pp. £34.99 In English, French & GermanISBN 13: 978-3836528344

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