World-famous photographer David Bailey is presenting a rare series of his private Polaroids at Dellasposa Gallery in London, the first chance collectors will have to acquire them.
With subjects from Princess Diana to Cara Delevingne – and Bailey himself – the renowned photographer opens up his rare archive of Polaroids for collectors and art lovers alike in a tantalizing visual diary of Bailey’s life and work over the decades, spanning his 63-year career.
The collection includes intimate and informal miniature portraits, still-life compositions, and instant snapshots from his fashion shoots and studio sessions – and are available to buy in a ‘lucky dip’ format with each Polaroid are sealed in an individual envelope and signed by David Bailey on the reverse. Collectors will be able to select them at random when they visit Dellasposa Gallery in person, or they can order them online. It’s a rare opportunity to own an original work by David Bailey, and each is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. Cost of each Polaroid is £1,200 + VAT.
Iconic
Before the digital age of smartphones and selfies, there was nothing more immediate than a Polaroid. The glossy three-by-four-inch Polaroid image is now iconic. Polaroids are one of the few photographic formats that render a truly unique print, unable to be reproduced since the cameras produce final positive images and not negatives. The rise of instant Polaroid photography in the 1950s gave Bailey countless opportunities to capture the icons he met, and he religiously documented the subjects of his shoots. Until now, Bailey treasured these unique works of art in his archives. He is one of a small but legendary group of artists who took Polaroids, including Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Ansel Adams and Robert Rauschenberg. For collectors who long for an original print by seminal photographers like Bailey, Polaroids are the easiest entry into that collecting journey due to their lower cost and the fact that they are often overlooked as part of an artist’s practice.
Founded in 2016, Dellasposa, near Hyde Park, represents international contemporary and modern artists, each united by their conceptual rigour and boundary- pushing, timeless works of art.
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