William Klein

Brooklyn + Klein

William Klein

born in 1926 in New York (United States)

Sixty years after “Life is Good and Good for You in New York”, his first book and one of the most important in the history of photography, William Klein takes on a new challenge : shoot Brooklyn in digital. This technique becomes a way for the master of the æsthetic of chaos to refresh his approach to the New York borough. Read more

“No rules, no limits, no holding back.” Such is his motto. What is important is to capture the exuberance and impertinence of life. For many weeks, the artist wandered the streets, worked days and nights, shot from the window of his car and roved the beaches of Coney Island and Brighton. With these images, William Klein creates a kaleidoscope of Brooklyn. For him, the Attorney General opens the door of police stations and courthouses; Hasidic Jews and Latinos dance in front of his lens ; Pakistani, Russian and Mexican storefronts flaunt their colors. His camera records everything frontally, often slightly from below. Nobody assaults him. The opposite happens : William Klein is recognized and saluted by his fans.