Steven Meisel - Photographs London Wednesday, November 1, 2017 | Phillips

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  • Literature

    Calvin Klein, New York: Rizzoli, 2017, n.p., variant, to be published November 2017

  • Catalogue Essay

    This monumental black-and-white photograph by Steven Meisel was taken for the 1994 launch of Calvin Klein’s groundbreaking unisex fragrance CK One. Seared in our collective memory as one of the most seminal campaigns in advertising history, it represented a key moment in the public discourse around gender.

    Calvin Klein recalls his vision for this game-changing campaign:

    I wanted to reach cool men and women all over the world of every age and every expression. Our marketing pushed the boundaries with fiercely unique people – men, women, gay and straight, some with shaved heads, tattoos and body piercing. It was an exciting, modern statement – and an instant global sensation.

    The casting process was overseen by Meisel who selected both models and real people based on their personalities as much as their looks. In the present photograph, we can spot young Kate Moss and Stella Tennant among this tribe.

    Meisel’s panoramic photograph has a cinematic quality and is comprised of four individual scenes. Through cropping and framing, Meisel has created an almost surreal composition whereby some body parts have been cut off or appear conjoined. A master storyteller, he perfectly captures the chemistry of the group and its personalities – we can just about hear their chatter and raised voices of heated conversations. In his representation of the ‘timeless seduction of youth’, Meisel has captured a moment that is emblematic of the 1990s yet feels modern and relevant today.

ULTIMATE

48

CK One, New York City

1994
Archival pigment print, printed 2017, flush-mounted.
Image: 93 x 274.3 cm (36 3/5 x 108 in.)
Frame: 103 x 284.4 cm (40 1/2 x 111 7/8 in.)

Signed in ink, printed title, date and number 1/1 on an artist label and a Certificate of Authenticity, both accompanying the work.

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

Estimate
£60,000 - 80,000 

Sold for £75,000

Contact Specialist
Genevieve Janvrin
Co-Head of Photographs, Europe
+44 20 7901 7996

Yuka Yamaji
Co-Head of Photographs, Europe
+44 20 7318 4098

Photographs

London Auction 2 November 2017