The Helmut Newton Foundation is currently showcasing two exhibitions featuring the work of legendary photographer Helmut Newton, including his captivating photographs taken in his adopted home of Monaco. The exhibitions offer visitors a comprehensive look at Newton's fascination with the French Riviera and its glamorous lifestyle.
Helmut Newton (1920-2004) was drawn to heat in all its forms - the blazing sun of the French Riviera and beautiful women alike. The Newton Foundation is now presenting his Riviera photographs alongside a unique dialogue between Newton's images and photographic icons from the Collection Fotografis of the Vienna Art Forum. Newton's work extended far beyond nude photography, also capturing the essence of greed and desire in his subjects.
The exhibition showcases life among the rich and famous in and around Monte Carlo, where Helmut and June Newton purchased an apartment in 1981. From his balcony, the great Berlin-born photographer observed the dolce vita lifestyle of his neighborhood. On one memorable occasion, he spotted Karl Lagerfeld's Villa La Vigie through his binoculars, where the fashion designer was organizing a photo shoot.
"Newton grabbed the phone, called his friend Karl and said: 'That's not working at all, Karl! You need to position the lighting completely differently,'" recalls Matthias Harder, Director of the Newton Foundation. "Lagerfeld was confused and initially didn't know who was stalking him like that." Without hesitation, Helmut Newton ran over to his neighbor's place and took the photograph himself, including host Lagerfeld on the left edge of the frame.
This image has become one of the large wall displays in the current Riviera exhibition at the Newton Foundation. The show also features typical glossy Newton photographs of celebrities including David Bowie and Caroline of Monaco, alongside models on the beach surrounded by paparazzi who were eager to capture their own shots of the famous photographer's work.
Particularly impressive is the large wall display of five ladies in black, photographed by Newton in December 2003 on Monaco's beach for Italian Vogue. This prophetic widow-like image from his final series proved eerily prescient, as Newton died in Los Angeles just one month later.
The second exhibition presents a fascinating dual perspective, featuring 66 Newton photographs in dialogue with works by Man Ray, Edward Steichen, August Sander, Diane Arbus, Duane Michals, and many other renowned photographers. These photographic pairs, some created decades apart, seem to communicate with each other across time. Sometimes it's the curve of an eyebrow that creates the connection, other times it's something as mundane yet amusing as bathroom fixtures.
"Newton knew them all, the images of his colleagues," explains Harder. "He was simply a thoroughly inspired artist." The exhibitions run through February 15, located at Jebensstrasse 2 in Charlottenburg. The foundation is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., with admission priced at 12 euros and reduced tickets at 6 euros.
