William Klein

William Klein , born the April 19th 1928 with New York, is a painter, Réalisateur of films and American Photographe. He is sometimes called bad servant boy . He lives and works with Paris.

In photography, it carried out outstanding books having for topic of the big cities: New York, Rome, Moscow, Tokyo and finally Paris, where he saw since 1948 and that he likes cosmopolitan, multicultural and multiethnic. It influenced artists like Helmut Newton, Frank Horwath, David Bailey and Jeanloup Sieff. It also revolutionized the kind of the mode.

Biography

Wire of Jewish immigrants, William Klein made of the studies of Sociologie then carries out her military service. The July 13rd 1947, it goes for the first time to Paris, as G.I., and fall in love with “the most beautiful girl with Paris” . Shortly after it enters the workshop of painting of André Lhote (like Henri Cartier-Bresson), then in that of Fernand Leger. It leaves food to the Garenne-Doves and marries Jeanne Florin.

It starts a career of photographer, starts in parallel to carry out court-measurings and works with Louis Malle on Zazie in the subway .

To the beginning of the Years 1950, Klein exposes abstract geometrical paintings. Beside that it holds a photographic newspaper, all that there is of more figurative - Chris Marker succeeds in making it publish with the Threshold, the book is then rewarded by the Nadar price. Fellini invites it to become assistant, Klein returns from there with its album of photographs Rome . At the beginning of the Years 1960, it turns several emissions for the emission Five Columns to , in particular the French and the policy which will be censured.

For its photographs of mode, it really revolutionized the kind: its mannequins do not have the hands on the hips and their feet do not take any more the position of ballet dancer. A whiff of scandal surrounds its work. Its career of scenario writer is marked by engagement, in particular near the Blacks of which it supports the fights to exist through characters like Mohammed Ali, Little Richard or Eldridge Cleaver.

In 1983 and 2005, the Center Pompidou devotes an exposure to him.

Its work

Documentary films

Broadway by Light (1958)
disorders of circulation (1962)
the buisness and the fashion (1962)
French and the policy (1962)
Gare de Lyon (1963)
With large the magasins' (1964)
Far from Vietnam (1967): collective film (Godard, Marker, Lelouch…)
Muhammad Ali, the Greatest (1969): Float Like has Butterfly, Sting Like has Bee
Eldridge Cleaver' (1970): The black Panthers

Hollywood, California: In Loser' S Opera' (1977)

Great evenings & small hours (1978): May 1968 as if you were there

The Little Richard Story (1980): as its name indicates it

The French (1982): documentary on the tournament of Roland-Garros 1982

Contacts (1983): (of board contact) William Klein comments on the photographs of large photographers

Ralentis (1984)

Mode in France (1984): documentary on the world of the mode

Chattered '91 (1992): ballet filmed

In and out off fashion (1994)

the Messiah (1999): The Messiah of Haendel

Films of fictions

Which are you, Polly Maggoo? (1966): satire of the world of the mode (Price Jean-Vigo) with Delphine seyrig, Jacques seiler, Alice sapritch, Philippe noiret, samy frey, Roland topor,
Mr. Freedom (1969): American imperialism with Delphine seyrig, John abbey, Donald pleasance, Jean Claude drouot. serge gainsbourg
the birthday of Charlotte (1974): means-measuring for the festival of the super film 8 in Paris with Charlotte levy, Roland topor, gasolines, hill serreau.
the pilot Couple (1977): when sociology and the statistics decide everyday life with anemone, Andre dussolier, zouc, Jacques boudet, eddie constantine, Georges descrières.

Famous photographic work

the photograph " Gun 1, New York " (1955).
the photograph " Holy Family with motor bike " (Rome, 1956).
work " Cineposter " completed with Tokyo in 1961.
work for " Vogue " realized with mannequins of mode in the streets of New York in 1963.
the small pocket of the album Coils one the Beat (1984), realized for Serge Gainsbourg.
work " Club Allegro Fortissimo " (1990).
" Self-portrait " (1995), a painted contact.

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