LOS ANGELES, CA.- Kopeikin Gallery announces SEE/SAW an exhibition of photographs by The Douglas Brothers to be presented from January 13th through February 17th, 2018.
The Douglas Brothers are a collaborative duo that worked out of London and New York in the late 80s and early 90s. They spent a decade developing their imprint, quickly becoming pioneering portraitists, later described by Creative Review as “the most desirable photographers of their generation.” Their oeuvre extended to nudes, abstract, reportage, fashion and collage. The photographs, which were initially exhibited at Kopeikin Gallery 20 years ago as vintage platinum prints, have now returned in the form of large format archival giclée.
“The Douglas Brothers were one of the gallery’s earliest successes with contemporary work, “ says gallery owner Paul Kopeiken, who recently re-connected with the brothers to produce this latest exhibition. “Their work is effortlessly timeless and utterly distinctive. If you gave Edgar Allan Poe a camera you’d end up with the work of The Douglas Brothers.”
The Douglas Brothers, Stuart and Andrew, combine a 19th century pictorialist tradition with a contemporary sensibility. They relax focus and court movement, marginalizing light and celebrating shadow. Darkness illuminates their subjects. They began by testing nuances of alternative chemistry and later, the stark permanence of platinum. Which brother pressed the shutter was never revealed. It was a true collaboration.
In 1996 The Douglas Brothers abandoned photography for film. Their archive was mothballed in a warehouse in London’s Kings Cross. Their photography retreated quietly into the shadows.
Twenty years later, a demolition order re-opened the warehouse and the brothers’ past reemerged, a maverick and distinctive body of work. The passage of time had not reduced its potency. Fourteen of their photographs rescued from near destruction in the warehouse are currently on display at the National Portrait Gallery in London until January 28, 2018.
“This is work that has stood the test of time, “says Phillip Prodger, Head of Photographs at the National Portrait Gallery. “The photographs are still as fresh and exciting as the day they were made.”
Andrew Douglas studied Fine Art before working as an assistant to John Swannell and, later, Lord Snowdon.
In 1989, Andrew teamed up with photography graduate and younger sibling Stuart. As The Douglas Brothers they aimed to counter the prevailing contemporary gloss and perfection of image making. Between 1986 and 1996, The Douglas Brothers produced a prolific body of work for the music, book publishing and magazine industry. Their photography appeared in publications including The Face, The New York Times and Esquire. They exhibited in Los Angeles, Tokyo and London.
From 1991, The Douglas Brothers began directing music videos and TV commercials before pursuing individual careers as directors in 1996. Andrew directed the no 1 box office 2005 remake of The Amityville Horror and the 2003 documentary, Searching For The Wrong Eyed Jesus. He recently directed episodes of the Netflix series Mindhunter. Stuart Douglas has directed award-winning TV commercials for clients such as Adidas, British Airways, Nike, BBC and Jeep. He also created a pioneering online mini-series for Sony Xperia called Johnny X which generated in excess of 8 million views.
