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Exhibition of photographs by Norman Parkinson at the D. Luís I Foundation – Cascais Cultural Centre

The Norman Parkinson: Always in Style exhibition, which presents a considerable set of works by the most acclaimed fashion photographer of the 20th century, is on show at the D. Luís I Foundation – Cascais Cultural Centre from 28 September to 31 December 2018.

The photographs by Norman Parkinson (London, 1913-1990) completely revolutionised fashion photography, following in the footsteps of Martin Munkácsi. Unlike his predecessors, who photographed static poses in the studio, Parkinson preferred to capture his models in movement and outdoors, creating fantastic works characterised by freedom and imagination. Parkinson created incomparable portraits of great figures of fashion, artists and writers, Rock and Pop icons, Hollywood stars and British royalty. His work can be recognised by its spontaneity, vivacity, elegance and sense of humour. His style was reinvented throughout his long career, which lasted from the 1930s to the 1990s. While his first images stood out for their spontaneity outside the studio environment, the photos he produced in the 1970s and 80s were marked by the choice of exotic locations as a backdrop. Although Parkinson himself did not consider himself an artist but rather a craftsman, the ingenuity he applied to his photographic work has been widely acclaimed by magazines such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Town & Country, among many others, which requested his services to bring charm and beauty to their pages.

The Norman Parkinson: Always in Style includes Parkinson’s most famous work, as well as other photos which have recently been discovered in the immense archive which he left behind. The exhibition is curated by Terence Pepper, who directed the photography department at the National Portrait Gallery in London, and by Alex Anthony and Iconic Images as co-curators of the present display.

© Nuno Lemos/CCC