The Radical Eye: Modernist Photography from the Sir Elton John Collection

As life underwent rapid changes in the twentieth century, photography offered a new means to communicate and represent the world. The Radical Eye introduces this crucial moment in the history of photography - an exciting period often referred to as the 'coming of age' of the medium, when artists used the camera and darkroom to redefine and transform visions of the modern world, and technological advancements gave them the freedom to experiment and test the medium to its very limits. Timeless genres of the portrait, nude and still life were reimagined, and street life and the modern metropolis were captured from a fresh, uniquely modern perspective.
Drawn from The Sir Elton John Collection, one of the greatest private collections of photography in the world, The Radical Eye presents an unrivalled selection of more than 175 classic modernist images from the 1920s to the 1950s. Showcasing rarely seen vintage prints, the book highlights the work of seventy key figures, including Brassaï, André Kertész, Dorothea Lange, Man Ray, Tina Modotti and Edward Steichen. These remarkable images are accompanied by an interview with Sir Elton John, essays on modernist photography and technology and innovation by Dawn Ades and Shoair Mavlian, and biographies of the photographers.