Mikael Jansson Unscripted Scenes November 6
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Mikael Jansson Unscripted Scenes November 6 –– November 28, 2020 Mikael Jansson: A Journey Through Vitality, Timeless Portraits, and Partying Photographs 1994–2019 The third exhibition of Mikael Jansson’s photographs at CFHILL presents an unruly and generous selection of the artist’s international production, and covers a time span of more than 20 years. Throughout his journey, which has taken him from working with super models like Isabella Rossellini, Kate Moss, and Christy Turlington to making re- vealing portraits of Iggy Pop, Miuccia Prada, and Penelope Cruz, Jansson’s mastery has been evident from the imme- diacy of his work, as has his obvious indebtedness to his mentor Richard Avedon. Perhaps it was music that laid the foundation for Stockholm-born Mikael Jansson’s particular appreciation for the magic of the moment. In the 70s and 80s, during the golden decades of live concerts, he made a point of capturing the performers and atmosphere during particularly ecstatic moments. After studying under Swedish photographers from previous generations, he headed for New York, where he became the assistant of the legendary Richard Avedon, whose ability to charge his images with restrained, tense sensuality in norm-defying staging’s won him fame and admiration. The 90s became a new golden age of crea- tivity in the fashion industry, and in magazines like Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, etc. Jansson isn’t simply counted as one of the adopters of this trend; he actually took part in shaping and phrasing its ideals. Few fashion photographers have managed to keep their foothold in the industry over this many decades, because the concept of renewal is in the very DNA of their industry. The selection of pictures that was made for the new exhibition, which covers the time from the late 90s until today, intention- ally highlights a specific genre: the portrait. Beautiful clothes, enchanted realms, and divine bodies are all part of the core reper- toire of any fashion photographer. Capturing a mood, getting close to the unattainable, and producing a sensation in the viewer that allows them to almost feel the heat of the breath of the person in the portrait–that’s Mikael Jansson’s trademark. This has become surprisingly plain in the wake of the last six months of the corona virus pandemic and the impact it’s had on our lives, as it’s taken us from parties to isolation, from natural intimacy to face masks, and from the travel lifestyle to far more inhibited movements. “I love meeting people and I love the portrait form, even in fashion photos. I have photographed famous people and model icons for over thirty years and now that the world has “Shut down” I wanted to look beyond the borders and reflect on those years.” - Mikael Jansson “Working with Mikael Jansson is a privilege. His knack for erasing the barriers between the glamourous and the everyday, and the way he is able to so naturally enter into dialogue with timeless artistic principles jointly ensure that nobody views his pictures unmoved. Whether it’s 1994 or 2020, this feels like the perfect choice right now,” says Michael Elmenbeck, Creative Director & Head of Exhibitions at CFHILL. For this exhibition at CFHILL, Mikael Jansson made three handmade platinum prints. Jansson places a great emphasis on the process of production, which results in smaller formats and print runs. Several of the subjects are only presented in one size; the one Mikael has determined to be optimal for the image in question, like that of Michelle Pfeiffer from 2017. Each image is treat- ed as individual in terms of its size designation, framing, the colour of the frame, and whether a mat has been mounted or not. The catalogue text for this exhibition was written by Susanna Brown, a curator who is responsible for the photography collec- tion at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. In Mikael Jansson’s previous exhibitions at CFHILL; Speed of Life in 2017, Jansson presented his intimate encounters with the world of Formula 1, and then with the Swedish nature in Daria, The Archi- pelago Series in 2018, featuring super model Daria Werbowy. In 2018 Kulturhuset exhibited WITNESSES, Jansson’s extensive portrait project with images of Holocaust survivors. CFHILL is an independent art space and art advisory in Stockholm, exhibiting and dealing with primary and secondary artists. Press Part Projects, [email protected] +46 (0) 733466662 CFHILL Sofia Johansson, [email protected] +46 (0) 727191988 CFHILL | Tuesday — Friday 12.00 — 17.00 Saturday 12.00 — 16.00 | or by appointment | Västra Trädgårdsgatan 9 | cfhill.com.