Horst: Photographs – Fashion and Surrealism

June 29, 2016

Alluring Photography Exhibition Opens July 2

ST. PETERSBURG, FLA (June 29, 2016) – Opening this Saturday, July 2, and on display through September 6, 2016, Horst: Photographs – Fashion and Surrealism is an illuminating special exhibition at The Dalí Museum, St. Petersburg, FL. The exhibit features 180 works of famed fashion and surrealism photographer Horst P. Horst (1906-1999), who ranked alongside Irving Penn and Richard Avedon as one of the 20th century’s most iconic photographers.

In the early 1930s Horst moved to Paris – the heart of the creative avant-garde – and befriended designers like Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli and artists including Salvador Dalí. Horst’s career spanned the opulence of Parisian prewar haute couture and the rise of ready-to-wear fashions in postwar America. Not confined to fashion, Horst excelled at portraiture, nude studies, interiors and still life photography, drawing from a wide range of sources from ancient Greek and Roman sculpture to surrealist discourse.

Horst’s work also reflects the changes in fashion industry photography. In the 1930s, his mastery of dramatic light and shadow set the standard for the black and white format. And when the industry shifted to color photography in the 1940s, his mastery of dramatic color contrasts made him the perfect choice for creating 94 Vogue magazine covers.

The exhibition is organized in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and has works on loan from the Conde Nast Archive, The Horst Estate and other private collections. Susanna Brown, Curator of Photographs at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), will be at The Dalí for the opening and will host several events including a lecture for Dalí Museum members.

“Horst is a noteworthy example of a major artist that was inspired by Dali, and vice-versa,” said Joan Kropf, Curator of the Collection for The Dalí. “We are pleased to be able to share this medium of art with our visitors, and as always, hope this exhibit serves to inspire.”

In conjunction with the exhibition, the Museum will offer a variety of corresponding programming, notably a Coffee with Curator talk on July 6 presented by Ms. Kropf; and The Dalí’s Café Gala has created a refreshing Lavender & Blackberry Almond Milk Iced Latte, served in a high-ball glass for a nod to fashion. Café Gala, located on the first floor of the Museum, is open to the public during Museum hours without an admission charge.

 

Horst: Photographs – Fashion and Surrealism is curated by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London; and for The Dalí Museum by Joan Kropf. Works are on loan from the V&A, The Horst Estate, The Conde Nast Archive, Richard J. Horst, The Sir Elton John Photography Collection and other private collections.

 MORE FROM THE DALÍ

Ferran Adrià: The Invention of Food

On September 25, 2016 visitors will immerse themselves in the transcendent nature of food as The Dalí presents the special exhibition Ferran Adria: The Invention of Food. Widely celebrated for changing the landscape of gastronomy, renowned chef and restaurateur Ferran Adria changed cooking in the same way Salvador Dalí changed art. The Dalí Museum’s exhibition will showcase the culinary work of Adria with breathtaking images of his creations paired with their inspirations from the natural world, creative notebooks elaborating Adrias innovating thinking, and serve-ware designed by Adria. Dali’s food-inspired paintings and flatware he designed will also be presented. Visitors can experience Adria’s genius firsthand – he created a seafood gazpacho in honor of the Museum that will be available exclusively at The Dalí’s Café Gala. Audiences will also have opportunities to partake in special culinary events in homage to Adria throughout the exhibition, to be announced.

 ABOUT THE DALÍ

The Dalí Museum, located in the heart of beautiful downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, is home to an unparalleled collection of Salvador Dalí art, featuring more than 2,000 works comprising nearly 100 oil paintings; over 100 watercolors and drawings; and 1,300 prints, photographs, sculptures and objets d’art.

The building is itself a work of art, featuring 1,062 triangular-shaped glass panels – the only structure of its kind in North America. Nicknamed The Enigma, it provides an unprecedented view of St. Petersburg’s picturesque waterfront. The Museum has attracted the world’s attention, and among the other distinguished awards it has received, it was listed by AOL Travel News as “one of the top buildings to see in your lifetime.”

The Dalí Museum is located at One Dalí Boulevard, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701. For additional information contact 727-823-3767 or visit TheDali.org.

MEDIA CONTACT Lorin Konchak Augeri, LAugeri@paradiseadv.com, 954.815.2156