Albert Watson. Kaos

The unlimited edition of a major Albert Watson retrospective

What makes Albert Watson one of the world’s most revered photographers, hailed by peers, critics, and collectors alike? Is it his unparalleled portfolio of celebrity portraits? Breathtaking landscapes? Sensual nudes, still lifes, illustrious fashion shoots?

KAOS presents a kaleidoscopic overview of Watson’s career to date and the dazzling array of subjects, objects, people, and places he has encountered along the way. A skillfully curated and dynamic portfolio, it spans 50 years of photography as we encounter stars, statesmen, supermodels and strangers; bound through neon-blazing cities; find figures poised, or shimmering with nude eroticism; roam the bright lights and the backstreets; soak up extravagant sunsets; and breathe in the elemental wilds of the photographer’s native Scotland.

Starting with Watson’s breakthrough portrait of Alfred Hitchcock for the Christmas 1973 edition of Harper’s Bazaar, each photograph reverberates with tightly coiled power, tension, and poetry. Whether it’s a portrait of a Las Vegas dominatrix, Elvis’s gold suit, a chimpanzee, or a street scene in China, Watson excels in capturing the surface seamlessly and probing its myriad depths. Along the way, his celebrity portraiture, including the likes of David Bowie, Jay Z, Kate Moss, Jennifer Lopez, Pamela Anderson, Mick Jagger, Jack Nicholson, Steve Jobs, and Andy Warhol, shows a particular interest in the private person behind the iconic façade.

“This retrospective highlights the power of refusing to specialize.” ― Digital Camera World

“Watson deftly combines innovative thinking with a mastery of technique, making his work a visual symphony of rhythm, compositional harmony, and tonal melodies.” ― Dazed Digital