The Age of Pleasure. Aldridge's photographs often depict women in haute Stepford mode splashed with lurid candy colors. He captures his subjects in a state of dramatic contemplation, making them more complicated and intriguing than simply beautiful.
‘Miles Aldridge is a
director
at heart. Each photograph has a very sacred pathology to every
angle and obsession to detail. There is genius
in the very
deliberate
blankness on the face of
the models that enables a transference of identity. He always draws you into an arrested
fetish that seems as forbidden as a little girl’s diary.’
Marilyn Manson
This spring, Christophe Guye Galerie hosts «The Age of Pleasure»
a major exhibition of
photographer Miles Aldridge's work, to coincide with the publicati
on of the book «I Only
Want You to Love Me», published by Rizzoli. This is the first solo exhibition of his work to
date in Switzerland and will include small, medium and large
scale photographic prints
from throughout his career including previously unpub
lished material.
A fiercely original photographer, Miles Aldridge is best known for the technicolor dream
like
worlds he creates
and the glamorous, beautiful women who inhabit them. Aldridge creates
ultra
cinematic images, drawing inspiration from film directors such as David Lynch and
Federico Fellini as well as the psychedelic graphic design of his father, Alan Aldridge.
Aldridge's photographs often depict women in haute Stepford mode splashed with lurid
candy colors. He captures his subjects in a state of dramatic contemplation, making them
more complicated and intriguing than simply beautiful. As Glenn O’Brien describes, ‘Miles
Aldridge constructs dreams. He understands the essential ingredients of the dream and he
uses impeccable instinct in crafting the fragmented narratives an exquisite tapestry of right
and wrong [defying] our waking order of things, our expectations and sen
sibility.’
Born in London in 1964, Aldridge studied illustration at Central St Martins, and briefly
directed music videos before becoming a fashion photographer in the mid
90s.
He has
published his work in many influential magazines including Vogue Itali
a, American Vogue,
Numéro, The New York Times and The New Yorker. His work was showcased in Weird Beauty
at the International Center for Photography in New York in 2009, and he has works in the
permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London
and the Victoria & Albert
Museum, London. In addition he was invited to create a series of photographic prints,
inspired by art, to celebrate the opening of the new Tate Britain
Opening reception for the artist and book signing of his latest publication “I Only Want You To Love Me”: Wednesday, 12th of March, 6 – 8 p.m.
Christophe Guye Galerie
Dufourstr. 31, CH-8008 Zurich
Hours: Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 11am-4pm
Admission free