Nick Knight - ULTIMATE Evening & Photographs Day Sales London Thursday, May 17, 2018 | Phillips

ULTIMATE Evening & Photographs Day Sales

London Auction 18 May 2018

  • Provenance

    Christophe Guye Galerie, Zurich

  • Literature

    'Unbelievable Fashion', British Vogue, December 2008, p. 265
    Nick Knight, New York: Collins Design, 2009, pl. 141, captioned 'Lily Donaldson, British Vogue, December 2008'
    Nick Knight Image, Seoul: Daelim Museum, 2016, p. 94, titled Pink Powder, Lily Donaldson wearing John Galiano

  • Catalogue Essay

    ‘A lot of people I worked with in fashion bring such a world to me, such a nourishing, such an incredible world to me that it is something you would really be foolish not to get involved in it.’

    Nick Knight

    Visionary image-maker Nick Knight’s brilliance in concept and execution of his fashion photographs and film has led to prolific collaborations with the most preeminent designers, predominately Alexander McQueen and John Galliano. Knight first collaborated with Galliano shortly after they met in 1996 – as Galliano became the Creative Director for Dior – with the A/W 1997-98 advertising campaign. The two continued to work together on many campaigns, some of which included videos produced for SHOWstudio, the award-winning fashion website, founded and directed by Knight.

    Here, model Lily Donaldson dons an ensemble from Galliano’s Spring 2003 Ready-to-Wear collection, which debuted on the runway with an explosion of vibrant colours from head to toe. As described in the Vogue summary of the show, ‘For his finale, he sent out girls whose voluminous outfits were covered in colored powders used in Indian festivals. As the models twirled, the audience was showered – and, incredibly, responded with laughter. As Galliano said, "It's about time for a bit of joie de vivre, isn't it?"’

    With his collaborative acumen, Knight delivers a perfectly frozen moment in this image – encapsulating Galliano’s desired essence – as the powder and fabric whirl together, creating a soft blur of pinks that radiate from the seemingly weightless Lily. This marks another premier example of Knight's boundless creative vision as he presents an elegant burst of joie de vivre.

    Knight’s work has been exhibited widely, including London's Tate Modern and V&A, and in 2010, he was awarded an OBE for his services to the arts.

148

Nick Knight

Lily

2008
Hand-coated pigment print, flush-mounted.
Image: 133.4 x 101.4 cm (52 1/2 x 39 7/8 in.)
Frame: 155 x 115 cm (61 x 45 1/4 in.)
Signed, dated, numbered 2/5 in ink, printed title, date and number 2/5 on an artist label affixed to the reverse of the frame.

Estimate
£50,000 - 70,000 ♠

Contact Specialist
Genevieve Janvrin
Co-Head of Photographs, Europe
+33 1 53 71 77 87

Yuka Yamaji
Co-Head of Photographs, Europe
+44 20 7318 4098

ULTIMATE Evening & Photographs Day Sales

London Auction 18 May 2018