paolo roversi

birds

co-curated by peter doroshenko + dennis freedman

Birds is the first North American exhibition of legendary fashion photographer Paolo Roversi. Presented at Dallas Contemporary, the exhibition features over 20 of Roversi’s photographic works and focuses on his longstanding collaboration with the fashion brand Comme des Garçons and its founder Rei Kawakubo.  

Titled Birds to highlight Roversi’s use of movement in photography, the exhibition examines how the Italian photographer has created a unique visual style in which models pose in abstract, mobile ways, often evoking birds landing or taking off. At Dallas Contemporary, visitors encounter groupings of photographs in varying sizes when entering the museum’s galleries and are able to explore Roversi’s work through one unifying theme in the exhibition — mobility — to foster new connections and interpretations around his oeuvre. 

“My collaboration with Rei Kawakubo goes back a long time and each time working with her is a new  inspiring adventure,” says Roversi in regard to the upcoming exhibition. “As Dallas Contemporary is bringing all arts — including fashion — closer, it seemed a good opportunity to show my work together with  hers.” Birds showcases known photographs by Roversi, as well as works that have never been seen before. On display are photographs spanning the four-decade creative relationship Roversi and Kawakubo have developed and explores how these two fashion trailblazers have exchanged ideas and creative philosophies throughout their impressive careers.  

The exhibition is accompanied by a 85-page monograph available here.

curatorial statement

“My collaboration with Rei Kawakubo goes back a long time and each time working with her is a new inspiring adventure.” – Paolo Roversi.

Italian fashion photographer Paolo Roversi lives and works in the multi-layered and cultural city of Paris. He is interested in the theatrics of fashion photography and, through staging, Roversi’s photographs reflect the history of photography, its influences, as well as numerous cultural references, such as early 20th century analog portrait studio practices and narrative newspaper documentation. While these echo throughout his practice, Roversi is not content with pure manipulation. Every single photograph is a manifesto that proves that photography is alive, kicking, and still carrying a message.

Aside from rare exceptions, Paolo Roversi works solely from his studio in France. For him, this place plays a dual role: first of all, it is a physical space, a naked theater where he stages his dreams and desires. But his studio is also a place of the mind, an ethereal space conducive to a ritual, that opens the doors to alternative dimensions. The key to accessing these dimensions has always been light.

In this presentation, which is Roversi’s first solo museum exhibition in the United States, he focuses on his creative relationship with Comme des Garçons designer Rei Kawakubo. Exploring how these two fashion trailblazers have exchanged ideas and creative philosophies throughout their impressive careers, the exhibition is titled Birds to highlight mobility as a unifying theme in this timeless group of works: produced over four decades, these larger-than-life images show a focused style, in which the models’ abstract and mobile poses often evoke birds landing or taking off.

By using movement and colors, coded in a rich and varied history, Roversi creates an attraction and alienation between the work and the viewer. This physical emotion is what creates the ties between the information of his photographs to his own stance in relation to them. Whether he's shooting fashion, a portrait, or composing a still life, Roversi always strives to shape a mystery and uncover it in order to bring it to light. And though his photos have different souls, they appear first and foremost as flashes of illogical and disturbing beauty; reflections of a photographic 'elsewhere' that the exhibition reveals.

about the artist

Paolo Roversi is an Italian photographer known for his striking, intimate portraiture and classical visual language. His photographs occupy a realm between the past and present, resulting in imagery that feels at once progressive and familiar. Roversi’s interest in photography began at an early age during a trip to Spain, prompting him to build a darkroom for printing his black and white photographs. He began his professional career in 1970 with photojournalism assignments, but soon shifted his focus to fashion. After a period assisting Laurence Sackman, Roversi started shooting his own fashion editorials and advertising campaigns, the resulting catalogue of which over the years has made him one of the industry’s preeminent image-makers. In the early 1980s he added large-format Polaroid photography to his practice, a medium that continues to enhance his trademark style. Roversi is a widely-regarded fashion and portrait photographer and has documented all the most famous models and movie stars. His photographs have been published internationally in magazines such as Vogue, W Magazine and Vanity Fair. He has collaborated with leading fashion and beauty houses, creating images for brands including Comme des Garçons, Dior, Guerlain, Armani, Chanel and Lancôme. During his 40-year career as a photographer, Roversi has published several books, including Angeli, Libretto, Nudi, Studio and Secrets, and his work has been exhibited at galleries and museums around the world.

support

Paolo Roversi: Birds is made possible thanks to the generous support of Comme des Garçons, with the support of Heidi + Bill Dillon and Sue Gragg Precious Jewels. 

Lead support for Dallas Contemporary has been provided by Ewing Properties Texas, with major programming support provided by Mark Giambrone. 2021 learning programs are supported by Sue Bancroft and Paula + Jim Crown. We gratefully acknowledge PaperCity Magazine as our media partner.

paolo roversi

pájaros

“Mi colaboración con Rei Kawakubo data de mucho tiempo y en cada ocasión trabajar con ella es una nueva aventura inspiradora.” –– Paolo Roversi

El fotógrafo de moda italiano Paolo Roversi vive y trabaja en la cultural y multifacética ciudad de París. Sus intereses apuntan a la teatralidad de la fotografía de moda. A través de su puesta en escena las fotografías de Roversi reflejan la historia del arte fotográfico, tanto sus influencias como numerosas referencias culturales, tales como las prácticas de los estudios de retratos analógicos de principios del siglo XX y la documentación narrativa de los periódicos. Si bien estos elementos resuenan a lo largo de su obra, Roversi no se contenta con la pura manipulación. Cada imagen es un manifiesto que demuestra que la fotografía está viva y coleando y todavía conlleva un mensaje.

Salvo raras excepciones, Paolo Roversi trabaja únicamente desde su estudio en Francia. Para él este lugar juega un doble papel: primeramente, es un espacio físico, un teatro al desnudo donde pone en escena sus sueños y deseos. Asimismo, su estudio es también un lugar de la mente, un espacio etéreo propicio para un ritual, que abre las puertas a dimensiones alternativas. La clave para acceder a estas dimensiones siempre ha sido la luz.

En esta presentación, que es la primera exposición individual en museo de Roversi en Estados Unidos, el artista se centra en su relación creativa con la diseñadora de Comme des Garçons, Rei Kawakubo. Explorando la manera en que estos dos pioneros de la moda han intercambiado ideas y filosofías creativas a lo largo de sus impresionantes carreras, la exposición se titula Birds / Pájaros para resaltar la movilidad como un tema unificador en este grupo atemporal de obras: producidas durante cuatro décadas, estas imágenes exuberantes muestran un estilo enfocado, en el que las poses abstractas y móviles de los modelos a menudo evocan pájaros que se posan o alzan vuelo.

Mediante el uso de movimiento y colores, codificados en una historia rica y variada, Roversi crea al mismo tiempo atracción y alienación entre la obra y el espectador. Esta emoción física es lo que produce los vínculos entre la información de sus fotografías y su propia postura en relación a ellas. Ya sea que esté fotografiando moda, un retrato o componiendo una naturaleza muerta, Roversi siempre se esfuerza por dar forma a un misterio y por descubrirlo para sacarlo a la luz. Y aunque sus fotos tienen diferentes almas, estas aparecen primordialmente como destellos de una belleza ilógica y perturbadora; reflexiones de ‘otro lugar’ fotográfico que la exposición revela.