![]() ![]() Smith first came in contact with fashion as a child, as his father, Sanford Smith, was the founder and president of the clothing company Anne Klein. His images were meticulously crafted, revealing surprising, enchanted, and dream-like worlds that set him apart from his contemporaries. Often compared to the surrealist Rene Magritte, Rodney Smith has long been praised for his delightful approach to image-making, filled with humour, romanticism, and fun. Left: Rodney Smith - Mossimo Holding Hands / Right: Rodney Smith - Wessel Looking Over the Balcony, black and white photo Paul Getty Museum is publishing Rodney Smith: A Leap of Faith that will present around 200 photos of this prolific artist and educator, including some never before seen images. ![]() It must draw you back." One of the images showing his talent to do exactly this is Erin in Green, Snedens Landing, New York, from 2014, in which a model's face is secluded and her figure is taken over by foliage.Ĭelebrating the life and career of Rodney Smith, the J. "A great photograph must never answer all the questions, otherwise, you would never be drawn back to it," said Smith. The city is scaled to human size but, enshrouded in haze, it remains elusive and ethereal. ![]() The photo draws the viewers in, raising more questions than it answers. Commissioned by the New York Times Magazine, the image seems enigmatic and dimensional instead of postponing the shoot due to rain, Smith pressed on, using the environment to his advance. One example is Skyline, Hudson River from 1995, in which five figures on a barge face the New York City skyline, holding umbrellas. In many of his photos, faces are not shown, and he often played with space and time. ![]() He mainly used Hasselblad 501cm and a Mamiya 6×7 Rangefinder, but he also loved shooting with Leica cameras and used natural light as often as possible. Rodney Smith's photography is predominantly black and white, although he accepted colour later in his career. "Like all great art, Rodney's had a look that became singular over time, and you recognize it the moment you see it," he said. The timeless world of his imagination resembles great art, confirms journalist Graydon Carter, who also authored a text about Smith in Rodney Smith: A Leap of Faith. "Rodney Smith's lifework stands out for its expression of joy, humour, and wistfulness, and it serves as a reminder of the ways in which both fashion photography and fashion itself are in dialogue with art historical discourses," explained Michal Raz-Russo, Programs Director at The Gordon Parks Foundation. Smith is among the photographers who significantly contributed to this change. Although photography had a rough path from being considered just a useful medium for recording reality to an art form, fashion images faced an even bigger challenge before they were accepted by the art establishment and included in cultural institutions. It took decades for fashion photography to be accepted as a proper art medium. A fashionable couple kissing atop a yellow cab, surrounded by rows of identical cabs under steel archways, is one of the most recognizable photos by Rodney Smith (1947 - 2016), the iconic figure of contemporary photography who seamlessly joined formal clarity with technical skill, and developed more personal relationship between photographer and subject in his practice. ![]()
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