Philippe Halsman @ Laurence Miller Gallery
Salvador Dali, Atomicus, 1949
Opening Reception:Thursday, April 1, 6-8pm20 West 57th Street, 3rd Floor
New York, NY
Laurence Miller Gallery is pleased to present JUMP, a quirky and fun-filled series of fifty vintage photographs taken by Philippe Halsman five decades ago of movie stars, politicians, royalty, entertainers, artists, and authors, all jumping before Mr. Halsman's camera
Philippe Halsman, with an unsurpassed 101 LIFE magazine covers to his credit, had the bold and unconventional idea back in the 1950's to ask the famous and prominent people he was commissioned to photograph for the likes of LIFE, LOOK and the Saturday Evening Post, once the formal sessions were over, to jump! The results were amazing, as each subject interpreted this bizarre request in their own unique way, often defying their typical public image. We see Richard Nixon as he floats twelve inches above the floor with a peaceful smile on his face, a far cry from the scowl many of us ultimately remember him by. And there is the rather large Jackie Gleason, in a handsome dark suit and his fingers extended wide, defying gravity as he lifts off, and from somewhere off-camera we can't help but hear "To the moon, Alice."