'Deborah Turbeville: Photocollage' – a tribute to the innovative American fashion photographer at THE PHOTOGRAPHERS’ GALLERY in London
The exhibition titled ‘Deborah Turbeville: Photocollage’ pays tribute to the impressive oeuvre of Deborah Turbeville (1932-2013). Recognized as a pioneer for her work in a male-dominated era, she is known for transforming fashion photography into avant-garde art.
Turbeville developed a signature dreamlike and melancholic style marked by enigmatic female figures, overcast skies, wintry landscapes, and abandoned settings in the 1970s – consciously breaking away from the glamorous, polished aesthetic that defined the fashion world at the time.
Curators Nathalie Herschdorfer, Director of Photo Elysée, and Karen McQuaid, Senior Curator at The Photographers’ Gallery, invite you to rediscover Turbeville's extraordinary vision and her influence on the history of photography.
On display at the exhibition are Turbeville’s trailblazing photographic explorations – from fashion photos to her deeply personal work. A curation of unique pieces, the exhibition grants a glimpse at Turbeville’s personal artistic universe, widely considered avant-garde in the world of fashion tableaux.
The American artist experimented with the photographic process and developing techniques, from the darkroom to the worktable in the studio. She would tear, cut, and crumple her photographs or manipulate, staple, and glue them together to create unique hybrid objects. The exhibition ‘Deborah Turbeville: Photocollage’ reaffirms appreciation for Turbeville’s pioneering contribution to the history of photography, according to the London gallery.
“Fashion takes itself more seriously than I do. I’m not really a fashion photographer,” Deborah Turbeville was once quoted in The New Yorker.
Among her most iconic works is the ‘Bath House’ series for Vogue from 1975, featuring models posing in a abandoned, run-down bathhouse. These photographs impart a vulnerability as well as decay and isolation – in stark contrast to the glossy fashion photography of the time. While controversial, the series exemplifies Turbeville’s atmospheric aesthetic – the hallmarks of which are soft focus, grainy textures, and muted tones. She regularly distressed her photographs to give them an aged appearance, blurring the lines between fashion photography and fine art.
Turbeville’s oeuvre rejected the conventions of the fashion industry's ideals, exploring themes of memory, loss, and feminine vulnerability instead. Her approach contrasted sharply with contemporaries like Helmut Newton and Guy Bourdin, whose images often celebrated female sensuality. In contrast, Turbeville's subjects appeared introspective and distant, encouraging viewers to engage with them on a deeper emotional level.
Throughout her oeuvre, Turbeville rejected idealistic conventions of the fashion industry to instead explore themes such as memory, loss, and feminine vulnerability. Her approach contrasted sharply with contemporaries such as Helmut Newton and Guy Bourdin, whose photography often celebrated female sensuality.
The exhibition ‘Deborah Turbeville: Photocollage’ has been organized by The Photographers’ Gallery in partnership with Photo Elysée and the MUUS Collection. A book has been published in conjunction with the exhibition, featuring texts by Vince Aletti, Felix Hoffmann, and Anna Tellgren. It also includes an insightful interview with Carla Sozzani, whose commissions for Vogue Italia played a key role in Turbeville’s career. This book illustrates how Turbeville has redefined fashion photography, breaking away from the sexual provocations and stereotypes often associated with male photographers. Instead, she developed a modern image of femininity grounded in her own ideas and feelings.
09 Oct 2024 - 23 Feb 2025
Deborah Turbeville: Photocollage
thephotographersgallery.org.uk
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