PARADISE

at Lehmann Maupin by Juergen Teller

"Whether they are engaging or not is up for debate. While I tended to enjoy Teller’s documentation of the art more, I responded most to an image in which Charlotte Rampling stands next to an extended marble figure. Objectively speaking, it’s not the best photograph in the exhibition, but I liked that the thin line of a cast shadow behind both the model and sculpture resembled the marks of a classical drawing. Though likely not intentional, the photograph appeared to pay homage to much older art-making techniques. In fact, in this work the distinction between fine art aesthetics and the magazine readiness of Teller’s models blurred in a way that legitimately created a unique vision. I’m not convinced it will be a particularly lasting one, but very little aesthetic blurring can boast that goal."by Paddy Johnson