Miles Aldridge: Analogous Compositions

With his work appearing frequently in international magazines and having created advertising campaigns for many luxurious brands and designers, fashion photographer Miles Aldridge has been an important contributor to both creative industries for many years. Recognised for a surrealist cinematic style and romantic images of bold, contrasting colours, he has worked alongside names such as Carolina Herrera, Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent.

A publication has been launched to document the prolific career – an archive from years of magazine assignments that shares the steps of a creative journey through its pages. Please Return Polaroid shares a rare insight into the technical processes of shoots: from storyboarding and initial ideas, to styling and the eventual final composition. In contrast to Aldridge’s acclaimed style of clean-cut post-production photography, the images in this collection have been exposed from their original preparatory context: a documentation of analogue that celebrates the physical nature of capturing moments. Acting as both a rehearsal for the finished product and a way of documenting its journey, each tangible work is reflective of mediating a practice within the digital age.

Many of the polaroids have been intentionally or accidentally damaged whilst on different photoshoots and have been trimmed, marked, or adjusted in attempt to modify and enhance. The book is filled with Aldridge’s images of hyper-sexualised luxury and seductive film noir that have been cut and edited with hand-written notes and sharpie sketches. Each individual image has an abstract narrative of its own and provides an intoxicating glimpse into the profession with previously unseen images. The event highlights the seminal visions of the practitioner in unexpected ways – enlarging them and arranging them to challenge the meaning of perfection and encouraging the appreciation of imperfection and nonconformity.

To celebrate the publication, Steven Kasher Gallery, New York, display a selection of 30 unique images, a series of large colour prints and a collection of unique Polaroid diptychs accrued from a 25-year career. The institution is inviting visitors to embrace a new style from this renowned artist, taking on a unique approach to the life of Aldridge as it has never been seen before.

Please Return Polaroid runs until 23 December Steven Kasher Gallery, New York. For more information, visit www.stevenkasher.com

Credits:
1. Miles Aldridge, Reclining Study (2002). Unique Polaroid Print. Courtesy of Steven Kasher.