Sunday, 24 May 2009

Cecil Beaton Exhibition at the Chris Beetles Art Gallery


I love going to small art galleries where you don't know what random pieces maybe showing, so when I stumbled across this Cecil Beaton exhibition at the Chris Beetles Art Gallery near Regents Street I was desperate to go. As soon as you peer through the door of the exhibition you can see large images of such renowned celebrities as Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn suggesting the high status Beaton had as a photographer in his time.

Cecil Beaton (1904-1980) first made his name as a fashion and portrait photographer, although he also had a prominent role as an Academy Award Winning stage and costume designer. Beaton acquired his first contract with Vogue in 1927 after failing his degree and later also got his works published in further magazines such as Vanity Fair. Beaton was renowned for his photography of Hollywood's golden celebrities as well a selection of the Royal Family. Beaton also made an impact in costume design in a number of stage and screen productions, one such film being My Fair Lady (1964). In 1972, Beaton was knighted, yet suffered from a stroke that led to paralysis and within six years Beaton died at the age of 76.

The exhibition itself is fascinating with portraits of Gwili Andre (1932) as well as some lovely representations of the 'Bright Young Things'. You really feel that Beaton captures the romantic nature of his subjects, placing them in a realm of fantasy and mysticism. Beaton also designed images for fabrics which the curators of the exhibition have had upholstered on the chairs in the exhibition. This adds a whole new dimension to Beaton's work, bringing it up-to-date for a contemporary viewer.

The exhibition only lasted a matter of weeks (22nd April- 16th May) but I urge you to have a look at his works online, as they truly are stunning.

Chris Beetles Art Gallery

1 comment:

  1. The fabrics are actually from the Cecil Beaton Fabric Collection (www.cecilbeatonfabrics.com) and are also available as wallpapers. The upholstered chairs are for sale. Contact 0845 838 8720 for more details.

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