A GUN FOR HIRE

`Carte Blanche` for the commissioned works between art and commerceHelmut Newton did not distinguish compositionally or stylistically between his magazine work and assignments for commercial clients. He ironically referred to himself as `a gun for hire.` That was also the title of June Newtons legendary book about his commercial photography, which is now available in a new edition revised by the Helmut Newton Foundation.`Some peoples photography is an art. Mine is not. If they happen to be exhibited in a gallery or a museum, thats fine. But thats not why I do them. Im a gun for hire,` Helmut Newton told Newsweek in 2004. This prosaic proclamation from one of the 20th centurys most celebrated photographers may be perceived as shocking. Still it firmly positions Newton as the no-frills image-maker that he was. His work is so powerful and striking, that it defies categorization. In refusing to call his work `art,` Newton leaves us free to do so. Judging from the amount of museum and gallery shows that have featured his work, it is clear that the option has been widely exercised.A Gun for Hire brings together a selection of Newtons fashion catalog work from the early 1960s to 2003 including work for BiBA (the first fashion catalog in 1962), Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Versace, Thierry Mugler, Blumarine, Villeroy Boch and Absolut Vodka, as well as his last editorial photographs for US and Italian Vogue`encompassing the body of work he made as a `gun for hire.`With an introduction by Matthias Harder and statements by Pierre Berg, Tom Ford, Josephine Hart, June Newton, and Anna Wintour.