Suggested sexuality, assertive sensuality and ultra-femininity are key themes in the work of Helmut Newton who made fashion photography erotic and irresistibly magnetic. Pushing the limits of publishing, in 1999 the photographer collaborated with Taschen to publish SUMO, a monumental 35.4-kilo limited-edited book. Just 10,000 copies were released, and each one was signed and numbered. Unsurprisingly, it was a sell-out. Today, copies of the precious book are hiding in major collections around the world, including that of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, while the famous n°1 copy, signed by more than 100 influential figures featured in the book, became the most expensive book published in the twentieth century. It was sold at an auction in Berlin for approximately 317,000 euros. In 2009, the Helmut Newton Foundation dedicated an exhibition to this epic book, where the 460 pages of SUMO were displayed on the walls, aligned in three rows. Visitors could take in over 400 works by Helmut Newton, from sensual black and white photographs to striking portraits. Now, ten years later, SUMO is set to make its comeback at the Berlin Foundation, in the summer of 2019. The new exhibition will be complemented by the works of Newton's former assistants, photographers Mark Arbeit, George Holz and Just Loomis. Also not-to-be-missed is June's Room, which features more than 50 snapshots from Helmut and June Newton's personal collection.
From June 6 to November 17, 2019, Helmut Newton Foundation, Jebensstraße 2, 10623 Berlin, Allemagne
Translated by Polina Shaykina
