EXHIBITION: "The Radical Eye: Modernist Photography from the Sir Elton John Collection" at Tate Modern/London

 A young Sir Elton (c. 1970)

We all know Elton John through his prolific music, not to mention
his flamboyant costumery and abundant collection of zany eyeglasses. But not 
too many people are aware that he is considered to be one of the most important
collectors of Modernist photography on the planet. 

Below: a rare print of Man Ray’s Glass Tears (1930), from Sir Elton's collection.
Glass Tears is the picture that "changed everything" for him.
“It was a huge leap,” he said about acquiring it. 
“It was like a Cape Canaveral leap.” 

The tears in this photo are strategically placed, and clearly don't look real.
There is some dispute as to whether the model is a living person or a mannequin.
 

Nearly 200 twentieth century photographs from Sir Elton's collection are currently 
on display at the Tate Modern in London. The exhibition will run through
through May 7, 2017, and includes works by such notables as
Edward Weston, Man Ray, Dorothea Lange, Irving Penn, 
 Imogen Cunningham, André Kertész  and Ilse Bing.

Underwater Swimmer, Esztergom, Hungary (1917) 

by André Kertész 

Kertész's fascination with capturing a singular moment in time,
and playing with unusual natural lighting are evident in this photo.

°     °     °     °     °     °     °

Migrant Mother (1936) by Dorothea Lange

About this photograph, Sir Elton said, “It’s a bit like Mona Lisa, I think -- 
her face. The sorrow, the anxiety. This is like, ‘Am I going to be able to feed 
my child the next day?’ ... I love the fact that the photograph is so beautiful 
and yet the situation is so awful."

“It’s incredible not just that he [Elton] has a print of such and such, but he has the print.”

                                                                                                                           NY Times

Some of my favorites from the collection:

        Salvador Dali, New York (1947) by Irving Penn 

Nusch Eluard (1928), by Man Ray 
 Gelatin silver print on paper

 Nude by Edward Weston, c. 1930

Leaping Into the Weekend

Dancer, Willem van Loon, Paris (1932) by Ilse Bing

To watch a video of Elton John talking about his collection,     

link here. 

~oOo~