A Tribute to William Klein

With the kind cooperation of the William Klein Studio, Paris; the ICP International Center of Photography, New York; and the Centre Pompidou, Paris. A painter, photographer, filmmaker, and graphic designer, William Klein (1926–2022) was a multidisciplinary artist who, among other achievements, revolutionized the field of photographic publishing.

In the 1950s, William Klein revolutionized the conventions of photography. He championed a resolutely subjective approach, emphasizing the intuitive nature of the shot, and preferred books over prints as a means of sharing his work.

He conceives of his books as visual objects in which the overall design and graphic layout are almost as important as his photographs. The images take over the page, ranging from full-bleed reproductions—with no margins—to multi-image compositions where they seem to pile up and collide. This quasi-cinematic sequence offers a uniquely immersive experience of photography. William Klein’s books also stand out for their graphic design, featuring typographic elements that take over the entire surface in a bold color palette.

This selection, drawn from Lucien Birgé’s library as part of his donation, traces the evolution of his publishing output, from his books on cities to his retrospective works and his efforts in reprinting. The 1990s marked a new approach: William Klein chose to enhance the contrast of his images, printed on slightly glossy satin paper. He then adopted an “anti-layout” approach: the images, reproduced full-page, flow into one another in a continuous sequence, as in a film.