The Wilmotte Gallery is staging the first UK retrospective of John Stewart’s still life work. “A Retrospective” will profile around 40 never before seen still life images, spanning Stewart’s vivid 60-year career. “A Retrospective” will run from 24th November 2010 – 28th January 2011 at Lichfield Studios in central London.

Wilmotte Gallery Press Release

24th November 2010 – 28th January 2011

Continuing its tradition of showcasing celebrated international photography, the Wilmotte Gallery will stage the first UK retrospective of John Stewart’s still life work.  “A Retrospective” will profile around 40 never before seen still life images, spanning his vivid 60-year career.

Born in London in 1919 and brought up in Paris, John Stewart came to photography in the early 1950s, after a chance meeting with Picasso in the French village of Valauris. Stewart’s request to photograph the artist sitting in a field of tall grass was granted and a few days later, he received an invitation to photograph Matisse in Nice.

This was the beginning of a stellar career that saw Stewart go to work in New York under the celebrated director of Harper’s Bazaar, Alexei Brodovitch. His work then began to appear regularly in Vogue, House & Garden and Elle and is now in museums and collections around the world.

In the seventies, Stewart abandoned commercial photography to devote himself entirely to personal work. His first show was of black and white still lifes and examples of his studies of folded clothes and drapes, dried thyme and wild flowers will all be on show at Wilmotte Gallery.  A major influence on his work was Stewart’s wartime experience as a prisoner in Japanese war camps for four years, as well as his annual travels to Asia.

Now in his nineties, Stewart lives and works in Paris.

Visitor information
Wilmotte Gallery at Lichfield Studios      
133 Oxford Gardens, London, W10 6NE

Hours                     Tues-Sat 11am-6pm
Exhibition               24th November 2010 – 28th January 2011
Nearest Tube           Ladbroke Grove or Latimer Road
Public enquiries         [email protected]
Website                 www.tristanhoare.com

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