After an exhibit of treasures from the Nicole Aussedat Natural Reserve of Saint Barth, and another showing work by two young photographers as part of the third edition of Art Week, the latest show at the Wall House Museum features images by Iran Issa-Khan. This show, comprising a series of photo- graphs titled “Forces Of Nature,” opened on December 22, 2021 and runs through February 10, 2022.

In collaboration with Space Gallery of Saint Barth, the Collectivity presents this exhibit which “pays tribute to the intrinsic beauty of the natural world, which fas- cinates the artist and has been the center of her attention for the past 25 years.” In 1999, Iran Issa- Khan started to photograph flowers, shells, coral, and other natural specimens. These images recall the work of major artists, such as Georgia O’Keefe, Tina Modotti, Irving Penn, and Robert Mapplethorpe, who use large close-ups that provoke an intimate relation- ship with their subjects.

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 argue — 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 complexity, color and texture, while Issa-Kahn’s 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.

Iran Issa-Khan,
From Fashion To Nature

Born in Téhéran, Issa-Khan grew up in Iran, Europe, and in the United States. She started her professional photography career in New York in the 1970’s under the patronage of William Minor. For the next 20 years she flourished as a professional, and her work start- ed appearing on the covers of American, European, and South American editions of Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, and Elle, to name but a few. Considered one of the best internationally acclaimed photographers at the moment, Issa-Khan lives in Miami, where she has been working on her Nature series for the past 20 years.