William Klein

William Klein (1926–2022) was an American-born French photographer, filmmaker, painter and graphic artist whose radical visual language transformed post-war photography. Born in New York and based in Paris from the late 1940s, Klein initially studied painting before bringing the energy of abstraction and graphic design into photography. His grain, blur, extreme contrast, unconventional framing and proximity to his subjects challenged established photographic conventions. From his seminal city books to fashion photography and experimental cinema, Klein developed an uncompromising body of work that blurred distinctions between fine art, editorial image-making and the street.