A leading photographer of the 20th century - William Klein

 

About the Artist – William Klein (1928 ~ 2022)

William Klein, along with Robert Frank, is considered a pioneer of modern photography who helped forge the path of visual photography in the post-World War II era. Notably, he boldly rejected traditional photographic forms and made anti-photographic experiments that significantly expanded the visual communicative power of photography, revealing new possibilities for photographic expression. In contrast to Robert Frank, who coolly conveyed his inner consciousness, Klein expressed his emotions unrestrainedly and collided head-on with his subjects, producing intense and powerful images. Through this, he established a unique and unconventional photographic tradition in the history of photography.

Born in 1928 in New York City, William Klein originally studied social sciences at City College of New York. After World War II, during which he was deployed in France as a soldier, he settled in Paris and began studying painting. He studied under Fernand Léger and held solo exhibitions in Brussels, Milan, and other cities.

In 1953, while working on a mural in Milan, Klein began experimenting with photographic techniques, which sparked his interest in photography. His early photographic work focused on abstract forms. By chance, Alexander Liberman, art director of Vogue magazine, saw Klein's work and invited him to return to New York from Paris to work in photography. Initially working as a designer and later as a photographer, he contributed to Vogue magazine.

After returning to New York in 1955 following his military deployment, Klein spent six months photographing the city of his youth using a Leica camera inherited from Henri Cartier-Bresson. The following year, he published this body of work in Paris under the title New York, which immediately gained international acclaim. That same year, New York was selected as the best photography book published the previous year and earned him the prestigious Nadar Prize, France’s highest honor for a photographer.

The publication of New York caused divided opinions and controversy. By completely disregarding traditional photographic techniques and embracing anti-photographic methods, Klein shook the foundations of photography. Many of his photographs were out of focus, blurry, marked by extreme contrasts, grainy textures, and disrupted perspectives—elements previously considered sacrosanct in photography.

Establishing himself quickly in the photography world, Klein began working on fashion photography for both the French and American editions of Vogue from 1957. In 1959, he published his second photo book, Rome, followed by Moscow in 1964 and Tokyo the same year.

In 1965, Klein suddenly shifted direction, leaving photography behind to pursue filmmaking. He directed films such as The Little Richard Story and Who Are You, Polly Maggoo?, and wrote scripts including Mr. Freedom.

In 1978—eighteen years later—he returned to photography, holding exhibitions in London and Amsterdam. In 1979, he held solo shows at the National Center of Photography in Lyon, France, and at the Canon Gallery in Geneva, Switzerland. In 1980, the Museum of Modern Art in New York held a retrospective exhibition of his photographic work, reaffirming his contributions to the medium.

Unlike others, Klein continually reinvented himself across various fields—painter, designer, photographer, and filmmaker—exploring each medium's unique expressive potential.

Reflecting on why he abruptly left photography in 1965, Klein explained that the photography world and society treated him as if he were a Jew under Hitler’s regime in Nazi Germany. Despite his work gaining attention, paid opportunities dwindled over time, and most people failed to understand his photos—a common fate for those ahead of their time.

Klein’s photographic world is most clearly encapsulated in his first photo book, New York. Though his later works Rome and Tokyo used similar techniques to depict complex urban phenomena in shocking visuals, they lacked the powerful coherence between content and form seen in New York. His book Moscow, produced in the 1960s, was visually even less intense. Thus, New York is considered his most representative work and the one that most vividly embodies his photographic vision.

Klein’s photography is regarded as modern realism because, like the original realists who rejected the moralizing and ethical preaching of pre-modern art, Klein aimed to expose the true reality of modern life. Realism reveals facts as they are—whether good or bad—and evokes empathy through truth.

With a cold and ruthless gaze, Klein laid bare his hometown New York, exposing the true conditions of modern life. His rejection of traditional photographic techniques wasn’t merely a denial of simple realism but a radical path toward uncovering truth by using taboo, anti-photographic methods. As such, he presented a new paradigm, showing that any method—so long as it reveals truth—can reflect true realism.

 

A Collection of William Klein Photographs (Source: Google Images)