Photography at Frieze London 2015

It seems as though Frieze has given up trying to understand contemporary photography or more surprisingly given up trying to sell it. At the main fair this year photography is hard to find and when it does appear you feel as though you have seen it before. Frieze Masters shows more photography even if it is viewed more safely through mists of time.

In the Masters tent ( or temporary pavilion) there are some obvious names, Horst P Horst, Herb Ritts, Jeanloup Sieff and Norman Parkinson, the type of work that can hang politely on the wall. There was some work by Robert Mapplethorpe and Man Ray that I had not seen before but two galleries stood out for me. Eric Franck Gallery showing work by Ogawa Gesshu (1891-1967) Gaspar Gaspian (1899-1966) Heinz Hajek-Halke (1898-19823) were a delight

Der Gassenhauer 1927 by Heinz Hajek-Halke (Courtesy of Eric Franck Fine Art)

Photo by Ogawa Gesshu ( Courtesy of Eric Franck Fine Art)

Edwyn Houk Gallery also showed work by Sally Mann, Stephen Shore, Man Ray and Moholy Nagy but I was struck by the work of Boris Mikhailov and his prints from Late 60's - 70's from the book Yesterdays Sandwich. It certainly feels fresh and contemporary at odds with the antiquities that pepper Frieze Masters.

Boris Mikhailov from Yesterdays Sandwich (Coutesy of Sprovieri

 Back at Frieze proper there are a couple of familiar names with Thomas Ruff and Wolfgang Tillmans
amongst the stands. I was disappointed with the new Tillmans work and Ruff's nudes were more popular than his other work but you can see why his work appeals to the Frieze crowd. The jewel amongst the hordes was the work of Paul Graham whose Benefits Office photographs glare at the audience with a relevance that seems lost on an austerity defying crowd.

 The disappointment is that Frieze does not seem overly interested in photography but maybe it is a blessing in disguise. With the success of Photo London photography is discovering a growing interest in photography and sales reflect that. Although this is in the established market you feel as though when the penny drops (or the dollar flutters) photography will suddenly be Frieze's best friend. I won't hold my breath.