Sofitel Frankfurt Opera has been transformed into an art gallery and presents impressive photographs by fashion and fine art photographer TIM PETERSEN. From 24 January through 24 July, 2023, visitors and guests of the five-star superior hotel on Opernplatz are invited to see the exhibition in the hotel lobby.

The Couture Transfer Polaroids series of staged designs by fashion icons the likes of Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino and Jean Paul Gaultier at the end of the 1990s are a collection of strictly limited photos. The production method is elaborate, complicated, and due to the size of the Polaroids, also quite expensive. Which is why the photographer only took a few photos of each outfit, and has thus not only depicted fashion history, but also made photography history thanks to the production technique and limited edition of the images.

Tim tells GoSee: “Polaroid Transfer is a highly complicated photographic method. A few seconds after I took the picture, I tore the positive and negative with the color emulsion apart and transferred the positive image to a sheet of watercolor paper by rolling the pigments onto it while they were not completely developed. I used this technique because of the beautiful painterly effect. Although, it was highly unpredictable. Only one out of four attempts worked.

To blow up the photos as large as I could, I used an 8 x 10 large-format camera, which was even historic at the time – with extended bellows, an upside-down focusing screen and black cloth that had to be pulled over the photographer’s head.

The amount of time it took was enormous and demanded extraordinary patience from the entire team, especially the models, who sometimes had to stand still for hours until we finally got the perfect shot. Each picture is unique. And that’s precisely the reason why I decided to use this technique for couture shoots back then. I wanted the images to be as unique as the outfits. After all, according to haute couture tradition too, only one unique piece is elaborately handcrafted by the designer. Haute couture is produced exclusively in Paris and must be photographed there as well because the clothes are far too valuable to be shipped. During Couture Fashion Week, selected magazines are given the opportunity to photograph the pieces. Since the most beautiful and interesting outfits were often reserved for Italian or French VOGUE, we worked for French ICON at night. This gave us access to priceless gems of fashion history. Pieces such as Jean Paul Gaultier’s famous chainmail shirt, Givenchy’s tulle skirt, the feather coat by Christian Lacroix or some of the first designs by Elie Saab, who would go on to become a star.

Today, fewer and fewer fashion houses afford an expensive haute couture division, and 8 x 10 inch Polaroids were discontinued in 2008. These photos have therefore become a part of both photography and fashion history.

The exhibited originals are reserved for collections and museums and can be requested accordingly. An exclusive and strictly limited edition (7 each) of fine art prints (enlarged) is available for purchase. The exhibition is on display from 24 January through 24 July, 2023, in Frankfurt.

Born and raised in Germany, Tim Petersen learned about photography in the studio of his father, who was part of the young, emerging German fashion photography scene of the 1960s and 1970s. In 1994, Petersen moved to New York City where he became deeply involved in the underground fashion magazine industry of the 1990s. Since then, Tim Petersen has photographed for numerous renowned fashion magazines such as Vogue, Vanity Fair or designer brands such as Bottega Veneta and Tiffany’s. Even throughout this commercial work, he has unequivocally used photography as an art form – long before major fashion labels began to employ art photographers for their campaigns. Which has ultimately made him part of the movement. He still lives in his adopted home of New York. Since 2022, his work has been part of the prestigious Kelterborn Collection.

GoSee timpetersenphotography.com &  sofitel-frankfurt.com
19.01.2023 show complete article

TIM PETERSEN presents us with ‘Mensch Rudy’ his latest fine art project on GoSee. The large-format works can be seen in an exhibition at Galerie Orange in Tegernsee, Germany. The opening is on 4 November and starts at 6:00 pm. The photos will be on display through 7 January, 2023.

The motifs were created against the retro backdrop of the Aqua City Motel in Minneapolis. The building, which was constructed in the 1960s, was recently closed and will be torn down to make room for a social housing complex. Tim’s spread is certainly one of the last productions to have taken place in the legendary motel.

Tim Petersen’s first introduction to photography was in his father’s studio, which was opened in the 70s during a pivotal time for Germany’s emerging photography industry. Petersen started his own studio in Hamburg at the age of 22 and quickly became fascinated by the New York subculture scene. At the time, notorious and underground fashion magazines such as Interview, Details and Arude viewed style as a statement; an attempt to express the feelings of a generation. After moving to New York, Petersen became deeply engaged in that editorial scene, and this is where he found and developed his unique artistic style.

His background in fashion photography influences his photos, displaying a classic golden ratio while telling stories and raising questions that transcend the photo itself. Petersen had his first solo exhibition in 1996, kick-starting a successful career in fashion photography, and he focused on work for top fashion magazines and fashion houses. Throughout the years, he continued developing independent passion projects, which have gained importance in recent years, resulting in a series of solo shows. In 2022, his work became part of the prestigious Kelterborn Collection.

GoSee timpetersenphotography.com & galerieorange.de
26.10.2022 show complete article

As a partner of the Frankfurt Fashion Week, the Frankfurt Fashion Lounge is presenting runway shows in the heart of Frankfurt for the third consecutive time at the Alte Oper railway station as well as in the Carmelite Monastery. Among the highlights is an exhibition by New York photographer Tim Petersen themed upon the future of fashion.

Tim Petersen has dealt with photography as a metaphysical medium for quite some time. With ‘Digital Shift – a visual mind game about the future of fashion’, he presents his works in an exhibition on 20 & 21 JUNE, 2022. Since the Frankfurt Fashion Week is increasingly establishing itself as a sustainable and future-oriented alternative, and a panel discussion was held on precisely this topic, ‘Digital Shift – The Future of Fashion’, at the last Fashion Lounge, he created this series upon receiving an invitation from the Fashion Week.

“In light of the emerging metaverse, NFTs and avatar fashion, the series explores the transition into the virtual world but also emphasizes the magic of physical fashion. All images are analog photographs, the fashion is vintage, and the prints are traditional photographic color prints; yet the look is futuristic, some partially, and some images appear to dissolve into color pixel patterns,”  Tim Petersen tells GoSee.

The hanging prints are impressively 100cm x 128cm to 100cm x 150cm large. The edition consists of five prints each. To purchase prints, please send your requests directly to Tim Petersen.

The Frankfurt Fashion Lounge platform creates exclusive experiences, both digital and personal. It actively promotes business and networking, while serving as an inspiration for top-of-the-line trends. The Carmelite Monastery in Frankfurt am Main is the headquarters of the Institute of City History and the archeological museum. From 1246 to 1803, it was a monastery of the Carmelite order.

GoSee : TIM PETERSEN & FRANKFURT FASHION LOUNGE
10.06.2022 show complete article