Nature at Play
Published by Daniel+Lauren
22 December, 2021 written by Daniel Quintanilla (aka danieldcnyc)
See original published article
Iran Issa-Khan Yucca Yang, 2020, Limited edition silver gelatin print (Edition of 20) (20 x 24 in / 50.80 x 60.96 cm)
The Collectivité of Saint Barthelemy in partnership with Space Gallery St Barth are proud to present a comprehensive solo exhibition of photography by Iran Issa-Khan, who presents “Forces Of Nature”, a collaborative exhibition curated and prepared by Space Gallery St Barth for the Musée du Wall House, Saint Barthelemy, and starting tonight in New York City’s SOHO with an opening reception, plus the exhibit running till February 10, 2022.
This exhibition celebrates the inherent beauty of the natural world which has fascinated the artist and been the focus of her lens for over the last twenty years.
Iran Issa-Khan Yucca Ying, 2020, Limited edition silver gelatin print (Edition of 20) (20 x 24 in / 50.80 x 60.96 cm)
Beginning in 1999, Issa-Khan began photographing flowers, shells, coral, and other products of nature.
These images, reminiscent of the works of Georgia O‘Keeffe, Tina Modotti, Irving Penn and Robert Mapplethorpe, daringly challenge her subjects to an extraordinary intimacy through close-up confrontation.
Cathy Leff, Director of the Wolfsonian Museum explains:
“Issa- Khan turned her eye to the minutiae of nature, a subject not as obviously stunning, but—she would ar- gue—just as beautiful. By playing with tight close-ups, unusual angles, and large formats, Issa-Khan forces the viewer to recognize the grand scale of the natural world, and possibly the scale of the self.”
Further observation reveals formal com- plexity, color and texture, while her master lighting and technical skills from fashion photography clearly translate.
Whether subtle, in soft, monochromatic tones, or bold and audacious, in highly saturated colors, all her photographs are captured on film and printed to large scale.
Issa-Khan is highly revered as her list of accolades and the respect afforded by her peers is testament to the great talent that she is.
A special collector’s book celebrating her work capturing the beauty of the natural world has been published with the foreword contributed by the undeniably brilliant architect Zaha Hadid, also a collector of the artist’s work.
Iran Issa-Khan Luscious, 2020, Limited edition color c-print photograph (Edition of 12) (60 x 48 in / 152.40 x 121.92 cm)
ABOUT THE ARTIST Born in Tehran, Iran Issa-Khan was raised in Iran, Europe, and the United States.
She began her career as a professional photographer in New York City in the 1970s under the mentorship of William Minor, Jr.
During this time, Issa-Khan was influenced by the work of prominent photographers including Horst P. Horst, Richard Avedon, Guy Bourdin and Francesco Scavullo.
Throughout the next two decades, Issa-Khan’s career as a professional photographer flourished with her work appearing on the covers of US, European and Latin American editions of Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, and Elle magazines, to name a few.
Considered one of the most important female photographers, Issa-Khan is internationally renowned having exhibited in New York City, London, Paris, Los Angeles, Miami, Palm Beach, and Dubai.
Her work has been featured in Harper’s Bazaar, Veranda, Cultured, Luxe, and Haute Living, to name a few. The artist now resides in Miami where she has been working on her Nature series for the past twenty years.
Issa-Khan became a favorite of celebrities, socialites, business and political fig- ures, and fellow artists, resulting in many editorial portrait commissions, the Ferragamo family and Fendi family, Prince Egon and Diane von Furstenberg, Carolina and Reinaldo Herrera, Bill Blass, and Oscar de le Renta, among others.
She photographed Paloma Picasso’s national and international advertising campaigns, which extended more than a decade, Nancy Reagan at the White House, the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough at Blenheim Palace, President and Mrs. Pastrana in Colombia, Baron and Baroness David and Olympia de Rothschild in Paris, and artists Alejandro Obregon in Colombia, Oswaldo Guayasaminin in Ecuador and Rufino Tamayo in Mexico.
Iran Issa-Khan - photo courtesy of Iran Issa Khan's Instagram account.
ABOUT THE MUSEUM Built at the end of the 18th century, in the neoclassic Swedish style, the Wall House is one of the oldest and largest buildings in Gustavia.
Unique by its stone work and its scale. After 1995 and its complete renovation the Wall House building became the Saint Barthelemy Museum, dedicated to the island’s history.
From 2014 it also welcomed a string of exhibitions centered on internationally recognized artists such as Jasper Johns (2014), Francesco Clemente (2015) and Daniel Arsham (2018).
ABOUT SPACE GALLERY Established in 2011, Space Gallery St Barth is a contemporary art gallery dedicated to showcasing painting, photography, and sculpture by established and emerging artists.
The gallery specializes in working with living artists with a strong European flavor.
Since its inception, Space Gallery St Barth has built an impressive roster of artists, curated international exhibitions, participated in major art fairs including the Venice Biennale, and organized museum exhibitions.
Today, the gallery has locations in St Barth and New York City and regularly exhibits in Monaco and Miami.