CAMERA WORK gallery presents a retrospective of Hans FeurerThe exhibition includes around 40 works from six decades and shows a curated, chronological selection of the artist’s early, experimental works as well as his fashion photographs.

“I like to show a free woman who is not afraid of anything.” – Hans Feurer

Hans Feurer’s avant-garde approach and his innovative use of light and composition have had a lasting influence on the development of fashion photography since the 1960s. His work is both aesthetically pleasing and narratively powerful, capturing the zeitgeist of different eras and illustrating stories of culture and change. Hans Feurer described himself as a feminist who valued free and independent women. He liked to portray his models as fighters – including Christy Turlington, Claudia Schiffer, Grace Jones, Linda Evangelista, Lui Wen, Jean Shrimpton, Uschi Obermaier and Iman, who became world famous in 1983 during a photo shoot with Hans Feurer for the fashion label Kenzo.

Colors and expressive contrasts dominate Feurer’s works, as does light. Outside the studio, the artist worked exclusively with natural light – preferably with the light of the early morning, the sunset, or at night with just the glow of a street lamp. In this way, Hans Feurer developed a visual language that takes cultural trends into account and yet remains unmistakable.

After studying art Hans Feurer (1939–2024) worked as a graphic designer, illustrator and art director in Great Britain in the 1960s. During a trip to South Africa in 1966, he developed a strong passion for photography, which became his profession. His international breakthrough came in 1967 and from then on his work was published in leading magazines such as Nova, Vogue, Numéro, Elle and Twen. Until the end, Hans Feurer worked in fashion photography and traveled to the most remote countries in the world. His work is characterized by a balanced image space, creative concepts and strong color schemes. In combination with a penchant for provocative staging, Hans Feurer acquired a photographic aesthetic with a high recognition value. The works exhibit a fascinating contemporary colorfulness, which, depending on the decade, is particularly evident in the color scheme and recurring stylistic features. Unlike other photo artists of his time, who strove for timeless works of art, Hans Feurer pursued the artistic approach of locating fashion with all its peculiarities in time. The works are thus also a testimony to cultural history.

Since 1997, Hans Feurer has been represented exclusively by the CAMERA WORK gallery, which was closely associated with the artist until his death. Hans Feurer’s life’s work is the property of CAMERA WORK AG.

Hans Feurer
August 24 – September 19, 2024
CAMERA WORK
Kantstrasse 149
10623 Berlin · Germany
+49 (0)30 310077-73
www.camerawork.de