Paris wants to make up for lost time with Helmut Newton by offering the largest retrospective since his death in Hollywood on January 23, 2004.

The Foundation in Berlin regularly shows a part of his work, of course, but with this exhibition at the Grand Palais from March 24 through June 17, 2012, Paris is paying homage to this photographer who crafted the majority of his work in France.

The exhibition brings together 200 original prints, made under the photographer’s watchful eye, but also polaroids, giant prints, and work proofs. Excerpts from the film Helmut by June made by his wife June will also be presented.

Organized by the Réunion des musées nationaux – Grand Palais, with the help of June Newton and the Helmut Newton Foundation, Berlin, the exhibition hopes to show, beyond his fashion photography, the many Newtonian themes including nudes, portraits, sex, even reportages, or what could be assimilated as such. 
The exhibition is reproduced in the catalogue with an introduction written by Jérôme Neutres, Advisor to the Président of the Rmn-Grand Palais, Newton by Newton who shows how through texts, commentary and June’s implication, this exhibition could have been designed by Newton himself.

“With an exhibition in Paris, comments June, the cycle will be closed…”

The exhibition features the series “Fired”, Fashion, Nudes/Dressed, Kodachrome, Eroticism, Portraits, “Specials”. 
It is accompanied by two texts by Pascal Bruckner, “Heroïsme in the skin” and by José Alvarez “Helmut Newton, a photographic existence”. 
To understand his vision, the texts and declarations describe his intentions.


“I love and look for reactions. I don’t like kindness or softness. Provocation doesn’t come from the need to provoke, but some issues are necessary in order to create photographic effects, new visual tensions. The only provocation I hate is that of surrealist imagery. It has no place in my universe…" (Press Conference, 1984, Austria)

Bernard Perrine
Bernard.Perrine1@orange.fr

Exhibition

Helmut Newton
Through 17 june 2012

Grand Palais
Galerie sud-est
3 avenue du Général Eisenhower
(entrance avenue Winston Churchill)
75008 Paris
Every day 10am to 10pm except Tuesday.
+33 (0)1 44 13 17 17

Catalogue

Helmut Newton 1920-2004
Texts by Jérôme Neutres,
Pascal Bruckner, José Alvarez.
Editions de la Réunion des musées nationaux-Grand Palais
256 pages format 205x240mm

Conference

Helmut Newton by José Alvarez
Thursday 29 march at 18h 30
Salle de projection Grand Palais