Miles Aldridge - Cabaret (published in the book) Vogue Italia 2006, Colour photography - Courtesy of Reflex New Art Gallery Amsterdam and Miles Aldridge
Reflex New Art Gallery regularly collaborates with artists on special editions and publishes them as art books. The book, which had recently been published at the time The Cabinet, created to accompany the exhibition of the same name by British photographer Miles Aldridge, is one example.
Miles Aldridge was born in London in 1964 and grew up surrounded by music and pop art. His father, Alan Aldridge, was a well-known art director whose clients included The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
Miles Aldridge's career advanced rapidly in the five years leading up to publication. At the time, he was the in-house photographer for Vogue Italia and also shot series for leading publications such as Numéro, The New York Times, i-D, Vogue Homme, Chinese Vogue, Zoo, Bazar and many others.
His photographs go beyond merely displaying expensive labels draped over 'beautiful people.' Something is always happening that holds your attention for longer.
It is as though the photograph were a still from a film: you want to know what happened beforehand and wonder how it will end. It is no coincidence that the films of Alfred Hitchcock and Federico are among his inspirations.
He always adds a touch of suspense and mystery. Combined with extraordinarily contrasting colors and intense sharpness, this produces photographs that felt thoroughly contemporary at the time of publication. Some series can appear cold and distant—Maria Callas, for example—but Aldridge does this 'on purpose': it enables him to portray the shadowy side of a star's existence even more powerfully.
Other publications by Reflex New Art Gallery include Kaori by Nobuyoshi Araki, Road to Erehwon by Robin Lowe, Violence and Passion by Erwin Olaf, Hotel LaChapelle by David LaChapelle and Tokyo by Daido Moriyama.
At the time of publication, only Please Please Return Polaroid was available.
