Two weeks ago, I wrote about a spectacular exhibit I had seen several days earlier at the International Center for Photography called William Klein: YES: Photographs, Paintings, Films, 1948-2013. The retrospective of Klein’s life work was a real tour de force and it will be something I’ll remember. This past week Klein passed away in Paris. He was 96 years old.

I’m not going to write an obituary; I am quite certain there are or will be plenty available online, written by those more learned of Klein then me. And I’m not going to rehash what I wrote two weeks ago. What I want to say is that with Klein’s passing the number of remaining great twentieth century masters is one less. Klein was certainly a giant and will be sorely missed, as is the case with all those of his stature that are now gone. His work, while not as well known in his native America as it was in his adopted country of France influenced new generations of photographers just like that of other controversial geniuses like Robert Frank and Diane Arbus.

My question is whether there are new giants to step in and fill the shoes of Klein and all the others from Adams to Cartier-Bresson? I not so sure. That isn’t to say that good work is not being done, but I believe there was a golden age of photography, especially concerning street, documentary and landscape in the twentieth century that doesn’t exist anymore and may not be matched anytime soon. If you think I’m wrong go ahead and let me know!

Klein was a trend setter even though he fought all the existing trends and conventions of photography. Just like Frank’s masterpiece The Americans, published several years later, no one in the US would touch his ground breaking first book affectionately known as New York for short. Thank goodness for the French! It was only after these seminal works were published overseas did it become possible for Americans to eventually get to see them first hand.

So where is photography headed in 2022 and beyond. I really have no idea. That having been said, I am grateful that I was finally able to see Klein’s work first hand, and while his approach is much different than mine, with a look and feel that is also different, it has cast a spell upon me that’s likely not to be lifted in this lifetime.

Prior to seeing the Klein show I didn’t own any of his books, but have since ordered one and will be getting the show catalogue book as soon as it’s published. Now, do yourself a favor.  If you’re not familiar with Klein’s work, or for that matter any of the other great twentieth century masters, get their books or at least borrow them from the library if they’re available. They will blow your mind!

Stay well,

Michael