Exhibition of Miles Aldridge, a photographer whose ‘life is serendipit…
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What if you put Bresson, Capa, Avedon, and Johansson together?
When it comes to world-class photographers, the names that anyone might think of are ‘Henri Cartier-Bresson’ or ‘Robert Capa’, who have had numerous photo exhibitions in Korea and are still holding them.
There are many other realist photographers who are admired for capturing historical scenes such as wars and revolutions and phases of the times with flashes of inspiration.
Richard Avedon (Audrey Hepburn's photo in the movie 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' is a representative work), known only to those who know the history of photography to some extent, is a mythical master of model and fashion photography, a genre different from them.
Surrealist photographer Erik Johansson, who creates fantastic worlds with images that are impossible in reality, is gaining a worldwide reputation, but in Korea, he made his name known through his first exhibition in 2021.
Can we say that he is an artist who has concentrated the tendencies of works pursued by Bresson, Capa, Avedon, and Johansson?
However, his photos steal the eye at first sight without the need for explanation.
He is intuitive and even humorous. Like Johansson, it captures a familiar realistic everyday life rather than fantasy and fantasy, yet it is surreal.
The originality and uniqueness of Aldridge's work makes me think, 'If I publish this as a popular NFT, will it hit the jackpot?'
No wonder he is one of the few photographers who still shoots on analog Kodak film. If the formula of NFT is 'digitization of analog scarcity', he is a writer who fits it perfectly.
In the 'Miles Aldridge Color Pictures' exhibition, which is currently being held at the Hangaram Design Museum of the Seoul Arts Center (opened on May 4th and held until August 28th. Last entry at 6:00pm, closed on Mondays), his autographed works are displayed. You can purchase numbered photos, so if you are a photography enthusiast interested in investing in NFTs, don't miss out.
However, what is more interesting than his work is his life story.
We met Wook Kang, CEO of CCOC, an exhibition planning agency that discovered Miles Aldridge, the ‘hidden jewel’, and held Korea’s first exhibition.
‘NeverEnding Story’ encountered at Stockholm Photografiska
Before listening to Aldridge's life story, I asked CEO Kang how he got to know him.
“Unlike his reputation abroad, it was at the photography museum Photografiska in Stockholm, Sweden, that I first came to appreciate Miles Aldridge's work, which is not well known in Korea.“
I still knew him as a fashion photographer because of his unique life story and reputation as the ‘second Richard Avedon’.
While looking at his works in person, I was fascinated by the unique intense and overwhelming colors that caught my eye at once.
Perhaps it was because he dreamed of becoming a film director during his school days, it seemed like he recreated the black and white films of the 1960s and 1970s with the most impressive colors.
Above all, I paid attention to the cultural complexity and multifaceted nature of his work. Like Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, and Jean-Michel Basquiat, it is storytelling combined with exceptional artistry that makes works and authors great.
No matter how great a work is, the public must frequently put it on the topic and spread word of mouth to get attention, right?
The life of Miles Aldridge, which I learned through an interview with CEO Kang, reminded me of the word ‘serendipity’. Serendipity means 'a chance meeting that brings great luck'.
Childhood with John Lennon, Eric Clapton and Elton John
“Aldridge was born into blessed circumstances as an artist. He was born in London, England in 1964, and his father, Alan Aldridge, was a graphic designer and stage art director with an outstanding talent for art. Thanks to the splendid celebrity, Aldridge was able to live without hesitation, calling John Lennon, Eric Clapton, and Elton John, who often visited his house, as uncle.
As a famous photographer, the Earl of Snowdon, who married Princess Margaret, younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II, served as a photo model for the father and son. That's what happened when Aldridge was 5 years old, but when he was 10 years old, his father bought a Nikon F camera as a gift to take pictures of the group, and he said that he developed his photography talent early on.
Aldridge's father is said to have left behind emotional wounds and motifs for his works as well as his relationship with celebrities instilled special sensitivity and pride in his son.
“Aldridge, blessed by circumstances, faced a trial in his life at the age of 12. His family splits up when it is revealed that his father was starting another family. His father immigrated to the United States with his sister-in-law's half-brother, and he remained with his mother in England, studying illustration and pop video directing while dreaming of becoming a film director.
His mother suffered greatly from depression from the shock, and Aldridge died at the age of 29.
Regarding her mother, he had deep sympathy and longing throughout his life, and as a result, most of the women in his works projected the image of her mother.
Anyway, after the death of his mother, he realized that his major, illustration work, was a very lonely job, and began to turn his eyes to the camera, which he had been interested in as a child.
It was his girlfriend who dreamed of becoming a fashion model who ‘unintentionally’ led him to the path of a full-fledged fashion photographer.
One day, her girlfriend asked her to take a picture for the fashion magazine Vogue (Vogue British), which has the world's mightiest power.
However, Vogue paid more attention to the photographer's talent than the actual photo model, and proposed to meet her through her girlfriend.
That incident can be said to be the serendipity that changed the course of his life.
As a fashion photographer belonging to Vogue, he suddenly rose to stardom and received a splendid limelight, becoming a star in the world fashion world such as Karl Lagerfeld, Giorgio Armani, Yves Saint Laurent, and Paul Smith. I worked with.”
It was the rediscovery of analog film that was treated as a relic of his time that made him immerse himself in the work of elevating photography to the level of art rather than settling for a glamorous life as a fashion photographer.
“Perhaps watching the process of ascending to heaven and rising to the myths of people like John Lennon, the neighborhood uncles I was close to as a child, raised my expectations for achievement as an artist?
He said that when he reached the age of looking into his 40s, he made up his mind to “let me express my feelings toward the world more truthfully.”
From there, he began to change direction from fashion photography to art photography.
The most analog, the most digital ‘Self-portrait of the era’
In 2007, when he was in his mid-40s, he held his first solo exhibition in London. The theme of the series at the exhibition at the time was ‘The project Immaculée’, which contained images of Catholic nuns experiencing religious ecstasy.
It is ironic that his first solo exhibition was an image expressing religious inspiration.
In his work, there are two elements: sanctity and femininity, born of affection and respect for her mother.
The megatrend of our time can be called the ‘digital twin’ phenomenon in which the analog world is converted to a digital platform.
“The title of the exhibition Aldridge held in New York last year was ‘Saint Mary, Supermarket, Popcorn. It seems to be a title that clearly shows his art world, where the religious aestheticism symbolized by the Virgin Mary, the secularity of capitalism represented by supermarkets, and the familiarity of pop culture iconified by popcorn are all melted into it.
The keyword to understand the world of Aldridge's work is 'convergence and transition' from analog to digital.
Shall we say that he is the most analog, yet the most digital-friendly artist?
It must be the self-portrait of modern people that yearns for the retro sensibility in memories, is enthusiastic about avant-garde psychedelic, and coexists with sacred beauty and secular desire.
On the Miles Aldridge official website, photos of the exhibition space of ‘Miles Aldridge Color Pictures’ currently being held in Seoul are posted.
The exhibition space consists of eight sections: drama, heroine, thriller, general audience, fantasy, teen, documentary, and youth not permitted.
