I studied history at university …. for me history is a big part of collecting photography …. because the images tell a good and interesting story”
The Collector
HackelBury Fine Art, London is pleased to present the exhibition “From a Private Collection” a group of photographs acquired by one collector over a decade, celebrating the work of some of the most important photographers of the 20th century. The exhibition will be at HackelBury, London from 28th April until 4th June 2022.
The collection was acquired over a decade from 2000 and reveals the individual taste and sensibility of one collector – reflecting their personal interest in history and visual storytelling. The works were acquired over time and illustrate the invaluable relationship between collector and gallery, fundamentally based on trust and taste. It maps the journey of a visitor to HackelBury in 2000, using a work bonus to purchase their first photograph El Malpais, May, 1997 by David Michael Kennedy. This purchase, together with the encouragement and guidance of the gallery owners Sascha Hackel and Marcus Bury, became the genesis for the beginning of a collection.
“It is totally fine to pick something which you love. But it’s always a good idea to try and pick a strong work too that will enhance the collection. For me, it was easy because Marcus and Sascha gave me good advice in terms of what the strong works were”.
The Collector
Harnessing HackelBury’s extensive knowledge of photography and the ability to identify important and representative works, the collector went on to acquire major works by iconic figures. These artists included Berenice Abbott, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Elliot Erwitt, Frank Horvat, William Klein, Irving Penn, Sebastian Salgado and Doug and Mike Starn. This diverse and groundbreaking group of photographers dedicated their careers to capturing the essence of the people, places, time and history which inspired them.
Seydou Keita and Malick Sidibe provide us with a glimpse of the social and cultural backdrop of their home country Mali in works such as Untitled – Lovely Daughter, 1949/51 by Seydou Keita and Christmas Eve, 1963 by Malick Sidibe. Famed for their studio portraits they brought to life a world, little known in the West at the time. David Michael Kennedy is famous for his portraits of musicians, native Americans and expansive landscapes whilst Alexandre Vitkine chose to photograph industrial landscapes and explore the tension between man and machinery.
Irving Penn, Elliott Erwitt, William Klein, Arnold Newman and Frank Horvat are fascinated by people and their portraits of leading figures and the fashion world draw us into a world of glamour and mystique. Illustrated by works such as Hat with Five Roses, Barbara Mullen, Paris, 1956 by Klein, Irving Penn’s Cecil Beaton, 1958, Arnold Newman’s Igor Stravinsky, New York City, 1946 and Elliott Erwitt’s Marilyn Monroe, New York, 1956.
Henri Cartier-Bresson, Sebastiao Salgado and Berenice Abbott are documentary photographers interested in the plight of people, moments in time or historical events reflected in works such as Behind the Gare St. Lazare, 1932 by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Exchange Place, New York, 1934 by Berenice Abbott and Dinka Man, 2006 by Sebastiao Salgado.
Doug and Mike Starn and Liz Rideal choose more abstract still-life images using material objects to evoke thoughts and ideas.
Ranging from portrait and fashion photography, landscape and street photography, photojournalism, documentary and abstract photography, these artists were on a journey to discover the potential of their medium and the power of their subject matter. These selected works ‘From a Private Collection’ provide us with an opportunity to see, through the eyes of one collector, a passion for photography and the legacy of a gallery.