Renowned international art figure Simon de Pury is presenting his own photographic work for the first time in London through his exhibition "Blow Up" at the Leica Gallery. Known primarily for his brilliant career as an auctioneer, curator, and gallerist, de Pury is now stepping into the spotlight as a photographer in his own right, offering viewers a glimpse into his personal creative vision.
De Pury's journey into photography began with his father's gift of his first camera. "I was initially doing mostly black and white photographs of rock formations that I would see on family hikes in the Swiss mountains," he explained in a recent interview. As an adult, he has consistently used photography as a means to capture moments that visually intrigue him, viewing the medium as offering "the illusion of suspended time" in the face of life's inevitable passage.
The current exhibition takes viewers on a visual journey to diverse locations including Miami, Aspen, and Los Angeles. De Pury's photographic eye is constantly active during his worldwide travels, a habit that "drives whoever is with me totally crazy as I stop every two to three minutes" to capture compelling images. While Tokyo ranks as possibly the most inspiring city for his work, he continues to discover "new fascinating angles" even in Monaco, where he currently resides.
The exhibition showcases de Pury's striking focus and range, from intricate details like "Barbara's Carpet" to more minimalist compositions such as "Battement d'Ailes au Clair de la Lune." The carpet photograph originated from a memorable visit to Barbara Becker's Miami Beach house, where Lenny Kravitz had created a funky interior design. "Before she was able to finish a sentence in her dining room, I was crawling on the floor to take a close up picture of her amazing pink carpet," de Pury recalled.
The exhibition's title "Blow Up" deliberately references Michelangelo Antonioni's classic 1966 film, which de Pury describes as "one of my all-time favorite movies." The film features David Hemmings as a photographer loosely based on David Bailey, and de Pury was reminded of the movie's gorgeous park scenes when viewing one of his own nighttime photographs taken in a London park. The title also reflects the nature of some of his images, which are detailed shots that have been enlarged or "blown up."
Born in Basel, de Pury has lived a cosmopolitan life and moved to Monaco seven years ago after spending many years in London. The opportunity to show his work at the Leica Gallery holds special significance for him, given Leica's legendary status in photography history. He has previously exhibited his photographs in Berlin, Geneva, Paris, and Moscow, describing himself as "an urban guy" who loves major cities, while comparing Monaco to "a mini Hong Kong."
De Pury's extensive experience as a curator and art advisor significantly influences how he selects and presents his own work. "My professional life forces me to be very rigorous in my aesthetic choices and to be a strict editor," he noted, though he acknowledges the challenge of maintaining necessary distance from one's own creative output. For this exhibition, he collaborated with Lou Proud, the Director of the Leica Gallery, who provided valuable assistance in the curation process.
Curiosity serves as the driving force behind de Pury's multifaceted interests. "Nothing excites me more than discovering what is happening daily in the worlds of art, design, photography, architecture, cinema, music, fashion, gastronomy, and sport," he explained. Despite acknowledging life's ultimate endpoint, he maintains an optimistic outlook: "I am always convinced that the best is yet to come. The minute you stop dreaming it's game over!"
Looking ahead, de Pury continues to embrace social media platforms like Instagram as tools for sharing his passions. He particularly enjoys creating portraits of artists positioned in front of their works and sharing impressions from his extensive travels around the world. His advice to emerging photographers is straightforward yet profound: "Follow your creative urges. You automatically will develop your personal artistic handwriting!"
The exhibition "Simon de Pury – Blow Up" will remain on display at the Leica Gallery in London through October 30, 2025. Those interested in following de Pury's ongoing photographic journey can find his work on Instagram under the handle @simondepury.
