Steven Klein - Photographs London Wednesday, November 2, 2016 | Phillips

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  • Literature

    'Close Encounters', Vogue US, November 2013, pp. 284-285
    P. Posnick, Stoppers: Photographs from My Life at Vogue, Abrams, pp. 26-27, to be published November 2016

  • Catalogue Essay

    ‘In 2013, epidemics of staph infections in hospitals were rampant and bedbugs were everywhere in homes and theatres. People were afraid to go to the movies. The assignment was to illustrate an article on BUGS. With this on my mind, I went to the S/S 2013 RTW shows in Paris. As the models walked down the runway at Lanvin I couldn’t believe what I was seeing – they were wearing huge, glorious bug pins. These pins became the focus of the shoot. Steven added the exterminator, of course. He photographed Karlie for an entire day – standing vulnerable and nude covered with bug pins, lying in bed covered with bugs, sitting in her underwear covered with bugs, on the floor half-dressed covered with bugs. Garren styled her hair. First it was long and blonde, then short and red, short and blonde, then black. We tried everything but Steven wasn’t happy. It was getting late, and I was sure we weren’t going to get the picture. Then with less than 30 minutes before we had to be out of the location, I dressed Karlie in the Marc Jacobs sequin jacket and a bikini. Steven sat her in the chair. Still not right. She needed a skirt, but her position was perfect and there wasn’t time to put it on, so I threw it over her legs. It worked! It wasn’t until Steven and I reviewed the pictures that we realised that Karlie’s bottom was in full view.’

    Phyllis Posnick

    Steven Klein is one of the most innovative and provocative artists in photography and film. Klein’s riveting body of work consumes viewers and entices them into his extreme vision. His image-making is grounded in reality but the template is constructed with elements of allure and dark glamour. Klein trained as a painter at the Rhode Island School of Design and was a 2014 recipient of an Infinity Award from the International Center of Photography (ICP). His works are held in several public collections, including the National Portrait Gallery, London; the V&A, London, and the ICP, New York.

ULTIMATE

71

Bugs

2013
Chromogenic print, flush-mounted.
Image/Sheet: 138.4 x 203.2 cm (54 1/2 x 80 in.)
Frame: 143.4 x 208.2 cm (56 1/2 x 81 7/8 in.)

Signed in ink, printed title, date and number 1/1 on a Certificate of Authenticity affixed to the reverse of the frame.

This work is number 1 from the edition of 1 and is unique in this size.

Estimate
£25,000 - 35,000 

Sold for £31,250

Contact Specialist
Genevieve Janvrin
Head of Photographs, Europe
+44 20 7318 4092

Photographs

London Auction 3 November 2016