Duffy. A photographic genius.

By VisitArt

The Alinari National Museum of Photography in Florence presents the first Italian exhibition dedicated to Brian Duffy, a celebrated British artist from Swinging London, who is famous for immortalizing David Bowie on his record covers that caused a sensation, such as that of Aladdin Sane (1973), which depicts the singer with lightning-shaped make-up on the face, and which immediately became a pop icon image. Working with the most popular newspapers and magazines, Duffy has revolutionized how fashion images are made, creating the cult of the fashion photographer by putting himself at the center of the runway with the models and the celebrities. Since 1957, when he began working for British Vogue, Duffy shot the portraits of many artists, moving between film, music, advertising, fashion and literature. But, at the peak of his career in 1979, Duffy decided to round up most of his work and bring it to the garden behind the house, where he made a bonfire. After many years of research among archives and publications around the world, his son, Chris, has recovered 160 photographs, putting together a true catalog of cultural iconography from the ’60s and ’70s. This show features 80 photographs, selected from those retrieved by Chris Duffy, in an exhibition that can be said to have literally risen from the ashes.

The exhibit will run until March 25 and it’s open everyday from 10 am to 7:30 pm (closed Wednesday). For more information, see http://www.mnaf.it/mostre.php