This year’s Photo London Master of photography is Nick Knight whose extraordinary career has spanned more than four decades. He will be exhibiting images dating back to the 1980s as well as new pieces created this year. Not defined by a single genre of photography, Knight combines fashion, portraiture, still life, landscapes and nudity in his shoots which often challenge conventional beauty standards.
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During his career, Knight has worked with some of the biggest names in fashion including John Galliano, Christian Lacroix and Alexander McQueen. His shoots involve pioneering image-making techniques that dissolve the boundaries between different mediums and allow him to create work that's outside the box of "normal photography."
Working with designers, choreographers, editors, models and musicians, Knight creates work that is dreamlike while his landscape and still life experiments with the fundamentals of photography by using the latest technologies and different materials.
Works that will be on view include Knight’s Rose Photo where he photographed fresh cut flowers from his garden using an iPhone, processed them with groundbreaking AI technology to add pixels and then he blends the original image with the sharper image to create a picture that is half photo half painting. Also on show will be a selection of works from the 80s, 90s and 2000s including the multi-figured image called Blade of Light which he created for Alexander McQueen in 2004.
Talking about his photography, Knight says, “My quest has always been to use photography to show me things I could not see. Photography has been my passport into life, giving me access to people from all backgrounds and walks of life. The same skill set has allowed me to create films, sculptures, and now even virtual versions of our world and ourselves.”
Using photography as his voice, Knight has been able to present a visual representation of how he sees the world commenting on everything from politics to AI. Known for his innovative collaborations, Knight has had work featured in some of the world’s biggest publications including Vogue, Dazed & Confused and he has shot editorial campaigns for Tom Force, Lancôme, Levi and Calvin Klein.
Nick Knight is just one of 106 photographers and visual artists from 18 different counties that will be exhibiting at Photo London.
The four-day event takes place at Somerset House - a working arts center with the largest creative community in the UK. Tickets are still available for the event and can be purchased directly from the Photo London website. Over the course of the weekend, visitors will be able to attend a series of talks, workshops, tours and book signings starting at just £29 for an adult day ticket.
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