Fashion photography is exciting, often controversial, and always creative. In Fashion Exposed – 100 years of Swedish fashion photography, we follow the changing expression of fashion photography from the 1920s to today through over 50 selected photographs by 14 Swedish fashion photographers.
Fashion photography is a specialised niche, a form of historical document that reflects the currents of its time. Through fashion photography we are able to follow the development of fashion, but also discern other ideals based on models, environments, poses, and so on. Having once been seen with a measure of scepticism, the status of fashion photography was elevated during the 1960s, when it became trendy to work with fashion. Today, fashion photography exists at the intersection between the commercial and artistic worlds. Rather than simply displaying clothes, the visual language of the photographs convey atmospheres and elicit emotions. But the photographs can also be treacherously authentic, and in the worst cases promote unhealthy ideals and norms.
The Fashion Exposed exhibition presents the ways in which Swedish fashion photographers have perceived and depicted fashion from the 1920s to today. However, fashion photography has long been an international enterprise, so even if the exhibition focuses on Swedish fashion photographers, most of them have been or are still active internationally. This is reflected in the clients, expressions, and environments, which range from the barren landscape of Mexico to hectic metropolises such as Paris.
The works of the following photographers are presented in the exhibition:
Carl Bengtsson
Kerstin Bernhard
Sten Didrik Bellander
Mattias Edwall
Sandra Freij
Hans Hammarskiöld
Rune Hassner
Julia Hetta
Erik Holmén
Ewa-Mari Johansson
Claës Lewenhaupt
Arne Nilsson
Georg Oddner
Ralf Turander
The exhibition was produced by Landskrona Museum/Landskrona Foto, and has been curated by Janne Jönsson and Anneli Oxenstierna. Dress historian Tonie Lewenhaupt has written texts for both the exhibition and the catalogue that will be available in the Textile Museum of Sweden’s shop during the exhibition period.