EDINBURGH.- Dutch photographer Viviane Sassen, one of the most exciting names in contemporary photography, opened the only UK exhibition of her highly distinctive work in Edinburgh.

The exhibition in the Mapplethorpe Photography Gallery opens with an immersive installation which places the viewer at the centre of the work with a giant mirror reflecting projections around them, and the gallery. The second half of the exhibition showcases Sassen’s fashion photography for fashion houses Carven, Stella McCartney and Miu Miu and series of photographs which are grouped thematically. These include Roxanne, a visual journal of photographs in which the viewer is offered a glimpse of the creative process through the relationship between photographer and muse, and Foreplay, in which the artist explores the abstract moments before a fashion shoot begins with captivating results.

Annie Lyden, International Photography Curator at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery said: “We are very excited to showcase the work of Viviane Sassen at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery this winter. Sassen creates both fashion and fine art photography, but there is no hard distinction between the two when it comes to her vision. Her innovative explorations of the human form, coupled with her bold use of colour create photographs that are equally dynamic and engaging. Visitors to the exhibition will be able to view Sassen’s ground-breaking work through a series of projected images, framed photographs and selections from the artist’s personal archive that come together to create a bold and exciting gallery space”

The artist Viviane Sassen added: “I'm extremely proud to show my work at the Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh, which has such a rich history... The atmosphere is so special!

“Holding my exhibition within the walls of this gallery is very exciting, the clash of cultures so to speak. Fashion pictures deal very much with contemporary popular culture and have a kind of disposable quality – which is very much in the nature of fashion – opposed to the tremendous historical setting of this building and the collection. This juxtaposition helps us to see how contemporary culture is imbedded in the past, as we create new images of our time."

In and Out of Fashion brings together around 35-40 photographic prints and vitrine displays, brimming with notes, plans and magazines, selected by the artist, as well as the specially designed installation, in which 200 images are projected onto a mirror at the beginning of the exhibition.