Description:

Helmut Newton (German/Australian, 1920-2004), "Two Playmates on Back Porch with Lemon Tree, L.A.", negative creation date 1986, print date 1990, gelatin silver print, pencil-signed, titled, dated and numbered "3/10" en verso, pencil-inscribed with artist, title, date, numbered "3/10" and "Gallery for Fine Photography, New Orleans, LA" label on backing board, image 22 1/4 in. x 18 3/4 in., sheet 23 1/2 in. x 19 1/2 in., original frame; overall 32 1/4 in. x 26 1/4 in. x 1 1/2 in.; accompanied by 3 vintage Playboy magazines featuring the photo and models, copy of letter of provenance from A Gallery for Fine Photography, correspondence with Playboy and 2 exhibition posters. (8 pcs.). Provenance: A Gallery for Fine Photography, New Orleans, LA, 1991. Ill.: Newton, Helmut. "Helmut Newton's Playmates". Playboy. Sept. 1987, Vol. 34, No. 9: 86. Note: “For his part Newton has transformed – or at least profoundly influenced – the erotic fantasies of our time and his influence extends farther than he would have imagined, making him a kind of sorcerer’s apprentice, who has unleashed a perpetual motion of contemporary images.” – Karl Lagerfeld From the late 1950s through the late 1990s, Helmut Newton permanently pushed the boundaries and altered the limits of fashion, photography and the way the camera lens views sexuality. Newton never referred to himself as an artist but as a “hired gun” doing what was necessary to accomplish the job, but his unique vision helped to shape the styles of such publications and fashion houses as Vogue, French Vogue, Elle, Yves-Saint Laurent and Chanel by not so subtly blending art, commerce and eroticism. His relationship with Playboy, however, was markedly different than the others. His photographic allusions to film noir and surrealist art were in stark contrast to what the pages of the “gentleman’s magazine” typically published. Further deviating from Playboy’s standard layouts, Newton’s photographs featured women with virtually no makeup and unstyled hair. When referring to “Two Playmates on Back Porch with Lemon Tree, L.A.” on offer here, Newton recalled, “…what interested me most was they came from small provincial towns, not big city girls… I placed the girls in all American settings – back yards, a house trailer…. I’m a B-Movie freak and some American life is like a B-Movie.” Newton’s bold, cinematic approach unveiled an alternative view of fantasy and voyeurism to the glossy, airbrushed world of Playboy. Ref.: Hencz, Adam. “At the Centennial of Helmut Newton’s Birth Where does his Legacy Stand Today”. Artland Magazine. 2020. www.magazine.artland.com. Accessed Aug. 9, 2022. Newton, Helmut. “Helmut Newton’s Playmates”. Playboy. 34.9 (1987): 86. Note: Neal Auction would like to thank Matthias Harder, Director of the Helmut Newton Foundation, for his assistance with the cataloguing of this lot.

  • Condition: If Condition is NOT stated in the description of the lot, the absence of a condition report does not indicate the lot is free of damage or condition issues. Available Condition Reports will appear as an additional image. Condition Reports and photographs may be requested on items until the Wednesday prior to the auction. Bid accordingly. All sales are final, no returns are accepted on the basis of condition.

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February 3, 2023 11:00 AM CST
New Orleans, LA, US

Neal Auction Company

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