LONDON.- Sims Reed Gallery presents the first-ever exhibition of drawings and sketches by renowned photographer Miles Aldridge. The artistic process behind Aldridge’s photographs always begins with a sketch on paper of his intended mise-en-scène, often using the vibrant colours prevalent in his photographs.
Aldridge’s intriguing narratives have garnered him international success as a photographer but his sketches and storyboards add further insight into the creative development behind each image.
There are around 30 drawings, none of which have been on the market before. Also on show is Carousel, a portfolio of 32 lithograph and screenprints. A further three large-scale photographs are being exhibited to contextualise the works on paper.
Lyndsey Ingram, director of Sims Reed Gallery says: ‘We are thrilled to be showing Miles’ drawings for the first time. The Carousel portfolio itself is reminiscent of the great livres d’artiste of the post-war era such as Matisse’s Jazz (1947) and Picasso’s Tauromaquia (1959). Showing this alongside the sketches really demonstrates how the illustrations are an intrinsic part of his practice.’
A fiercely original photographer, Miles Aldridge is best known for the colourful dream-like worlds he creates and the glamorous, beautiful women who inhabit them. Aldridge's photographs often depict women in haute-Stepford mode splashed with lurid candy colors.
Born in London, Miles Aldridge studied illustration at Central St. Martins and worked as a music video director before officially starting his career as a fashion photographer in 1993. Aldridge has worked with British Vogue, Paris Vogue, American Vogue, Vogue Italia, The Face, Numéro, The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Paradis, as well as advertising assignments for clients such as YSL, Armani, Longchamp, L’Oreal, Hugo Boss and Paul Smith. A selection of his portraits is in the permanent collections at The National Portrait Gallery and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, and the International Center of Photography in New York.
