I am very proud to have been included in the exhibition MIRRORS OF THE MAGIC MUSE
The most beautiful images of women from the collection of Amedeo M.Turello
The Direction des Affaires Culturelles of the Principality of Monaco in collaboration with Amedeo M.Turello, is proud to present Mirrors of the Magic Muse, an exhibition of major photographic works documenting the beauty of women as seen through the “mirror” of works by major photographers, from 5-28th February, 2010 at the Salle Quai Antoine 1er, Monaco.
Mirrors of the Magic Muse is a rare and remarkable collection for various reasons. Firstly, for the sheer number of images (1,500) that are inventoried and archived. Secondly the theme of the exhibition does not only collect images of the generic female universe but represents one man’s very personal vision. Photographer himself, Amedeo M.Turello has assembled his collection in a global and complementary manner. Through passion but primarily through a rational and methodical approach, we find works by great Masters and young photographers alike, all with the same vision in mind: the classic beauty of the eternal muse. The collection has evolved to represent his individual journey through the language and expression of the female form, via her esthetical and narrative power, from her traditional and iconic role in last century’s society to today, making it a personal journey into the sensibility and personality of it’s author.
As we travel through 300 unique and powerful images presented here in Monaco, we are taken on a journey of the beauty and importance of women in photography, from the stammerings of the early 20th century to today. Beginning with the controversial Pictorialists, where representation of the photographic media was still not yet perceived as a proper art, the comprehensive collection of photoworks evolves at an astonishing rate through the 20th century, spanning right up to the social transgression of women in contemporary fashion photography today. Images of strong women, women standing up for themselves, women who radiate dignity hang eloquently beside each other, each frame a history in itself, incarnating the true meaning and of the beauty of femininity, at times contradictory even to their own personality.
Just as striking is the careful attention that is devoted to the work of female photographers, whose work sums up what it is to be a woman.
“This collection is born to be shown; it’s eclecticism and comprehensive technical ease are ideal for the larger public. The simple fact being that each acquisition was made with the meticulous intention to complete a particular mood or a chronological period”.
– Amedeo M.Turello
Over fifteen years of meticulous research in collaboration with (renowned critic and photo expert) Giuliana Scimé have enabled the acquisition of major historical works, which have created this collection of key pieces, curated semi-chronological, semi-visual order. Celebrated vintage photoworks, household contemporary works and lesser-known photographers, are all presented with exceptional elegance and lucid understanding.
With the ethos being to maintain the global vision of classic beauty, yet to update it with an avant-garde twist, the images are all presented in scrupulous sequence that relate the social documentation of the subjects to their environment and hence to one another. Strong, soulful portraits liaise with classic nudes in order to create a global vision of eclectic harmony.
Included in the artists in the primary section are: Alice Boughton, Gertrude Käsebier, Man Ray, George H. Seeley, Edward J. Steichen and Alfred Stieglitz who open the exhibition, followed closely by an impressive series of iconic images as: Colette by André Kertez, Lella by Edouard Boubat, Mademoiselle Anita by Robert Doisneau, Madame Bijoux au Bar de la Lune by Brassaï, Solange by Jacques-Henri Lartigue, Srinagar Kashmir by Henri Cartier-Bresson and other major pieces by authors such as Cecil Beaton, Hans Bellmer, Herbert List, Horst P. Horst, Carlo Mollino and Josef Sudek. Continuing with widely known artists such as, David Bailey, Elliott Erwitt, William Klein, Robert Mapplethorpe, Duane Michals, Helmut Newton, Herb Ritts, Jan Saudek and their iconic images, we are subtly led into a different register, with works by Ruth Bernhard, Manuel and Lola Alvarez Bravo, Peter Lindburgh, Nickolas Murray, Cindy Sherman and Jeanloup Sieff, which in turn take you seamlessly to the vibrant selection of large scale contemporary works that includes cutting edge talent such as: Bob Carlos Clarke, Philip Dixon, Michel Comte, Terence Donovan, Sante D’Orazio, Franco Fontana, Lauren Greenfield, Jean-Baptiste Mondino, Thomas Rusch, Veronique Vial and Tony Ward. Finally, promising professional young talent is generously given a platform where their images have an impressive impact on their audience for their captivating and aggressive approach. Included here are the works of Curtis Eberhardt, David Drebin, Laurent Elie Badessi, Perry Gallagher, Amber Gray, Ishi, Ryan Michael Kelly, Gray Scott, Bell Soto, Laurie Lee Stark and Richard Warren.
Mirrors of the Magic Muse is not only a journey through the key images of the evolution of photography but aids us to understand the aesthetic amalgamation and the soul of eternal beauty, a constant source of inspiration for artists. Historical representations with their timeless expressions shown together with young photographers are all presented with an exceptional elegance and lucidity. First exhibited at the St Moritz Art Masters in 2008, Amedeo M.Turello’s collection is an extension of this passionate and obsessive amateur and intends to refine the profile of the eternal muse and to expose her lines of force… and does so in homage to photography and women from a man that loves them both.
THE COLLECTOR
The present owner of the collection is photographer Amedeo M. Turello. Graduating in Architecture from the “Politecnico di Torino”, he also obtained an MA from the Art Centre College of Design in Pasadena, California. He has dedicated himself to the fashion photography arena since 1999, documenting contemporary trends for prominent fashion magazines and designers. He has portrayed the individual character of a wide range of celebrities from the worlds of art, culture and couture, becoming an established name in the creative industry and a deep connoisseur of fine art photography. He is based in Monte-Carlo and works primarily between the Principality, New York, Los Angeles and Milano. His work has appeared in numerous high fashion magazines including Elle, Numéro, Italian Vanity Fair, Vogue, W as well as Allure, Hello! UK and Hello! US.
He has recently published a best selling book 10 Years Celebrating Women, with Style Book.
Exhibition MIRRORS OF THE MAGIC MUSE
The most beautiful images of women from the collection of Amedeo M.Turello
from 5th – 28th February 2010
Salle d’Exposition du quai Antoine Ier,
4, quai Antoine Ier – Monaco
Exhibition organised by the Direction des Affaires Culturelles de Monaco
Information / infodac@gouv.mc / tél +377 98 98 83 03
Curator : Giuliana Scimé