First Ever Exhibition To Recognise The Art Of Advertising

Works by photographers Irving Penn, Nadav Kander and Richard Avedon are among those on show at a new exhibition called Advertising Art.

Avedon’s iconic photograph of model Iman for an Alexon campaign, along with a striking campaign for L’Oreal by Penn, will line up alongside famous images for Silk Cut, Absolut Vodka, Pirelli Tyres and Boddingtons.

The aim of the exhibition, organised by The Chambers Gallery in London, is to showcase the art of the art director. The curator, Philip Roe, comments: “This exhibition, the first to offer original advertising artwork for sale as fine art, will signal the end of that hoary old debate about the status of commercial art. We can see for ourselves: advertising art can be art of the highest quality.”

The exhibition features original photographs and artwork for ads created by some of the most famous names in UK advertising, including the late great Paul Arden, who died last month; Sir John Hegarty; Tim Delaney; and Paul Belford, among others.

The Advertising Art exhibition runs from May 14 until June 14.