Handy Guide to Historical Heroines at Photo London
Open to the public from 12th – 15th May, this year’s Photo London will bring together some of the most groundbreaking work in contemporary photography, as well as paying tribute to the pioneers of the past.
For our second round-up of festival highlights, we’re bringing you an overview of some of the Historical Heroines you won’t want to miss at this year’s fair. And as always, if you’re visiting the work of the Heroines in person, be sure to tag us on social media @hundredheroines! We can’t wait to see what you discover…
Dora Maar
Gallery: James Hyman Gallery / Hyman Collection
Location: W04
Dora Maar (1907 – 1997) was an acclaimed painter, poet and photographer who was integral to the Surrealist art movement. She blended the technology of photography with the abstract possibilities of painting to trailblaze photomontage techniques.
Eve Arnold
Gallery: Peter Fetterman Gallery
Location: A1
Eve Arnold documented the lives of some of America’s most famous icons, as well as the everyday experiences of ordinary people across the world. Renowned for her naturalistic style, Eve consciously rebelled against the homogeneous narrative with which women were typically represented in the public eye, embracing opportunities to depict taboo subjects such as birth.
Kati Horna
Gallery: Galerie Sophie Scheidecker
Location: W01
Kati Horna was a surrealist photographer and visionary artist. Compassionate and engaged, she took a personal approach to reportage photography and developed an innovative, poetic visual narrative.
Lee Miller
Gallery: Lee Miller Archives
Photo London Location: E05
Groundbreaking modern artist Lee Miller transformed the male-dominated disciplines of Surrealism and war photography. She left behind an archive of 60,000 negatives and 20,000 prints, which have been diligently collated into The Lee Miller Archives.
Martha Holmes
Gallery: Peter Fetterman Gallery
Location: A1
One of LIFE magazine’s most revered photographers, Martha created intimate portraits of Hollywood personalities and artists. She also became known for her humanistic photographs of everyday life.
Martine Franck
Gallery: Peter Fetterman Gallery
Location: A1
Martine Franck was a documentary and portrait photographer, and a member of Magnum Photos for over 32 years. She was one of the few women to be accepted and served as vice-president from 1998 to 2000.
Virginia Oldoïni / Countess de Castiglione
Gallery: James Hyman Gallery / Hyman Collection
Location: W04
Virginia Oldoïni was an Italian aristocrat and pioneering portrait artist who attracted the fascination, admiration and scorn of her peers at Parisian court during the 1800s. Bringing together an incredible selection of her self-portraits, including an exquisite painted photograph of the Countess, the James Hyman Gallery space offers a rare opportunity to survey a collection of photography which was truly ahead of its time.
