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Slim AARONS
At the age of 18, Slim Aarons enlisted in the US Army (Eighth Army Division) and worked as a photographer at the West Point Military Academy before becoming a war reporter during the Second World War, where he was awarded the Purple Heart.
Aarons said that combat had taught him that the only beach worth landing on was one ‘adorned with lovely young women sunbathing in the peaceful sunshine.’
After the war, Aarons moved to California and began photographing idealised celebrities in beautiful locations, in the style of still lifes.
It was there that he took his most admired photograph, Kings of Hollywood, a New Year's Day 1957 photo of Clark Gable, Van Heflin, Gary Cooper and Jimmy Stewart relaxing in a bar in their street clothes. Aarons' work appeared in Life, Town & Country, Holiday, Travel and Leisure.
Aarons never used a stylist, make-up artist or anyone else for his photographs, relying solely on natural light.
Aarons built his career on what he called ‘photographing attractive people doing attractive things in attractive places’.
‘I knew everyone,’ he said in an interview with The Independent in 2002. ‘They invited me to their parties because they knew I wouldn't hurt them. I was one of them.’
PAST EXHIBITIONS (SELECTION):
2024 : « Slim Aarons : La bonne vie », Staley-Wise Gallery in New York
2023 : « Summer Daze », Maddox Gallery in London
2022 : « Photographies d’été », HK Art Advisory + Projects
2021 : « Ready, set, go », Staley-Wise Gallery in New York
2020 : « Slim Aarons Poolside », Nineteensixtyeight Gallery in London
2018 : « Photo London », Staley-Wise Gallery in New York
2017 : « Le photographe Slim Aarons », Staley-Wise Gallery in New York
2016 : « Slim Aarons », Staley-Wise Gallery in New York
2014 : « Slim Aarons : Un homme pour toutes les saisons », Staley-Wise Gallery in New York
