21.1.12

Brian Duffy – (1933-2010) The Photographic Genius – until March 25, 2012

National Alinari Museum, Piazza Santa Maria Novella 14a,  Florence

Brian Duffy – one of the three famous “cockney” photographers of the 60’s – 70’s  – the others being David Bailey and Terence Donovan was in fact of Irish extract and born in North London! However it suited the media to label them together, and seemingly suited them to have an identity as a trio of plumpish heterosexual misfits, working in the fashion world as it was then, of tall camp posh photographers in suits and hats!

This exhibition was initially staged in London by Duffy’s son Chris who dragged his terminally ill father out of 30 years of retirement to take some special photos of his favourite friends and models of the 60’s. These included the ever genial Lord David Puttnam and our London neighbour Joanna Lumley – was featured with her grown up “Goblin” – which was how Duffy referred to him as a child!

It was a project which he seems to have enjoyed, to judge from the excellent BBC4 documentary, The Man Who Shot the Sixties, which is included in it’s entirety in the Exhibition. In this he takes the cameras back to the garden of his home office where he held his own ritual Bonfire of the Vanities and tried to burn all his work before putting down his camera – as he thought – forever.

So apart from this connection with Savonarola – why has this exhibition come to Florence – you may ask? Well of course as a fashion photographer for all the beautiful people in all the beautiful magazines of course he is going to do a shoot in the most beautiful city!

These classic photos use some of Duffy’s trademark concepts – such as moving people captured in unusual poses – totally changing the way people viewed fashion photography and their relationship with the models portrayed in these images – who soon – like Jean Shrimpton below – became stars in their own right.

One of the great things about this exhibition is the number of pictures in glorious black and white – who needs glorious technicolour – and the lack of retouching – real people with chapped lips and little folds of skin out of place – even in Pirelli Calendars!

So finally here is my patient gallery companion Leslie again – as we considered pausing for an aperitivo outside the gallery – Thanks again for your company and for recommending this exhibition as a “must see” whilst I am over here!

Leslie with Duffy and saxophonist who moved off at the wrong time!

Tomorrow is the last day of the Money and Beauty exhibition at the Strozzi Palace – another must see that I “must see” again one last time!