The Lumiеre Gallery is pleased to present the exhibition “Patrick & Victor Demarchelier” in September 2023. The exhibition will feature a collection of photographic prints by two fashion photographers, exclusively presented by the Lumiere Gallery in Russia.
Patrick Demarchelier (1943-2022) is a legendary photographer who revolutionized the canons of fashion and advertising photography. He was a master who captured the world’s leading stars in cinema, fashion, and politics; the author of numerous covers for major fashion magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue.
As part of the project, landmark works by Patrick Demarchelier will be presented for the first time in Russia, which brought him fame and became part of the history of world photography, such as “Christy. New York” (1990), “Nadja. New York” (1995), “Gianni Versace. Paris” (1992), “Vogue Anniversary” (1992), “Shalom. Monaco” (1992). The exhibition also includes the master’s later works – “Gigi Hadid, New York” (2016), “Dior Haute Couture, Spring-Summer” (2011), “Christy, Linda, Naomi. New York” (2016), “Victoria’s Secret, New York” (2007).
Patrick Demarchelier’s artistic style is easily recognizable: his unique graphic quality, elegant lighting, sincerity, and natural beauty that reveal the character of worldwide stars. A characteristic feature of Patrick Demarchelier’s photographs is the “aesthetics of the candid shot”; he always tried to capture the moment of the model’s natural beauty.
The quintessence of Patrick Demarchelier’s style is a photograph of the model Christy Turlington, which has become the author’s hallmark. Patrick Demarchelier created a magnificent series of photographs for British Vogue. The exquisite combination of a grand flower and a delicate female profile allowed the photographer to create a poetic and all-encompassing image of haute couture.
His son Victor began his own path in photography, assisting his father. For several years, Victor closely collaborated with his father, working on projects for Vogue magazine and major fashion houses.
Over time, Victor Demarchelier began to develop his own name and style, gaining recognition from leading magazines and fashion houses such as Christian Dior, Ralph Lauren, and Lancôme. Victor’s works are recognizable for their composed staging and lighting, as well as his particular interest in still life photography, a genre to which his famous father was indifferent. Victor’s photographs always reflect a contemporary aesthetic and maintain the perfection and elegance that the Demarchelier name symbolizes.
A colorful accent of the exhibition will be a series of works by Victor Demarchelier titled “Artificial colors” (2018), dedicated to exploring the phenomenon of artificial color. “The idea for this series was to explore artificial colors. We spend so much time in photography fine tuning natural colors, I thought it would be interesting to look at artificial colors, man made colors. Candy is such an attractive subject. The colors are beautiful, and the shapes are amazing. There is also a nostalgic quality to them. We get a sense of euphoria from looking at them and our senses are raised,” the photographer explains about the series.
In addition to the “Artificial colors” series, the exhibition will feature two large-format works by the author: “Bebe” (2021) and “The Mane Event: Héloïse Guérin” (2012). Russian collectors and photography enthusiasts will see Victor Demarchelier’s photographs for the first time.
The participation of both father and son in the exhibition provides an opportunity for deep analysis: how closely collaborating photographers inevitably inspire and influence each other’s creativity, as well as visually demonstrate the evolution and reinterpretation of fashion photography canons across generations.
The exhibition will also include works by Patrick Demarchelier from the private collection “Still Art”, kindly provided by the owners of the Foundation.