D. Etheleen Staley. Etheleen Staley and her friend Takouhy Wise are the creators and curators of the Staley-Wise gallery, Soho, New York. The gallery opened its doors in 1981 and was the first of its kind - exhibiting and selling fashion photography on a fine art platform. Since then it has become known for its extensive, prestigious collection and archive, predominantly of fashion photography, but also Hollywood portraiture, landscape, still life, nude and journalism photography. Their current show - ‘From the Archive Part II’ showcases work by Louise DahlWolfe, Edward Steichen, Herbert Matter, Patrick Demarchelier, Hoyningen-Huene, Jeanloup Sieff and many others. Staley and Wise met in the late 1970s, while they were both working as stylists at Grey Advertising in New York. The two stayed close friends and in 1980 came together to open what is now the Staley-Wise gallery. When you opened the Staley-Wise Gallery did you already have photographers in mind to exhibit? When we opened we had a list of fashion photographers that we wanted to have in the gallery and in those days you could pretty much get anybody you wanted. They were all surprised that anybody wanted to have their pictures in a gallery. For instance we worked directly with Louise DahlWolfe and Helmut Newton. Erwin Blumenfeld was not alive so we worked with his daughter and son. How would you describe the StaleyWise Gallery? I think we started something new. Before us there was no such thing as seriously selling fashion photography. The important thing about Staley-Wise is that we did something that hadn’t been done before. Describe an average working day at the Staley-Wise gallery. I spend the morning doing emails at home and arrive at the gallery around noon. The majority of photography requests come in the form of an email, and from 50
all over the world. We send them jpegs and answer their questions, which frequently results in sales. There’s a lot of buying and selling via email and with clients in the gallery. We deal directly with collectors, art consultants and people who come because they really like the photographs on show. And we deal with other galleries and museums. Not that many museums collect fashion photography yet, but they’re starting. How do you go about acquiring new work? Each photograph has its own story. Occasionally we do buy at auctions, but usually collectors and photographers or their estates contact us to sell. We sell online but have never purchased work online. Many of the photos you are showing in ‘From the Archive Part II’ are side projects from fashion photographers. How do you think fashion photography has influenced their personal work? It all comes from the same source and vision. It comes from the mind of the photographer. Horst P. Horst was the first photographer you exhibited, how do you think he has influenced fashion photography today? I am beginning to see more work influenced by Horst. It’s not in fashion right now but his kind of poised and elegant studio photography will come back. Erwin Blumenfeld was extremely experimental with his fashion photography, often influenced by his fine art background. Is it common for fashion photography and art to overlap? Blumenfeld was highly inventive and that extended to his fashion photography work. He used fashion to make a living, as did many photographers. Fashion photographers are artists and this was the case with Blumenfeld.
Many of the photographers you exhibit have worked predominantly in black and white why is this? Many photographers do a tremendous amount of colour work for the magazines but the photographs that they chose to sell are mostly, but not all, black and white. David LaChapelle’s images are full of colour, extremely witty and always engaging. What was it like working with him? We worked very closely with him at first and then he moved to Hawaii, so we don’t see him so much anymore. He is larger than life and very special. What makes a really thoughtprovoking fashion photograph? The artist’s vision is the source of a thought-provoking fashion photograph. For example, Deborah Turbeville’s assignment was to show some Valentino evening dresses. But she turned the assignment into something cinematic, ambiguous, and visually exciting. Why do you think there is a growing interest in buying and collecting fashion photography today? Because the work is beautiful and as complex and compelling as any other genre. Do you think fashion photography needs further acceptance in the art industry or has it achieved its value? Every major gallery now shows some form of fashion photography. I would say it has arrived. What advice would you give to someone collecting fashion photography? It depends what your interest is, and if you are collecting for yourself or to invest. If you want your collection to increase in value, I would get blue chip photographers and have everything either signed, stamped or authenticated.