Mesmerizing photos by Karsh on view in Seoul

By Kwon Mee-yoo

For those of you who were not one of the more than 120,000 people who came to see the first Karsh exhibit in Korea in 2009 breathe a sigh of relief as “Karsh: The Master of Portrait Photography,” an exhibition hosted by New Venture Entertainment and the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, presents some 100 images by the legendary photographer for a second chance.

From Audrey Hepburn to Andy Warhol, dramatic portraits taken by master photographer Yousuf Karsh will be exhibited again in Seoul from March 26 at the Sejong Museum of Art.

Photographs in the Portrait Section feature important figures of the 20th century from Mother Teresa, former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, to famed designer Christian Dior and actresses such as Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor. Especially the portrait capturing the elegant beauty of Hepburn caught the attention of many Koreans in the first exhibit.

This time some of them are a repeat of the 2009 showcase, while the rest are on view in Korea for the first time, including the portraits of Rudolf Nureyev, Andy Warhol, Marc Chagall and Nelson Mandela.

Karsh is talented in capturing the spirit and beauty of the subject and it comes from “communicating” with the subjects. His creative angle while shooting the subject is unique and obvious in the photos.

The classic close-up of Hepburn was taken at Paramount Studios in Hollywood in 1956. She wore nearly no make-up and the photo clearly shows the natural beauty of the timeless actress.

The photo of Talyor was taken in 1946, when the actress was 14. During the photo shoot, the young Taylor had brought a new cat and Karsh named the cat Michael. The next day when they met in front of a film studio, Taylor told him that she came with her cat “Michael Karsh Taylor.”

Anecdotes like the one above and life stories of the figures are posted next to each picture, providing a better understanding of the connection between Karsh and his subjects.

Other sections show photos of hands and the Canadian landscape. Hands also interested Karsh and he tried to capture the trace of the owner’s life in the images. The landscapes highlight the pertinent social aspects of the 1950s. Karsh took a total of 8,334 photos throughout Canada over a period of 17 months to portray the economic developments of the country after World War II.

The photos on display are prints from original vintage film owned by the Estate of Yousuf Karsh in Canada.

The exhibit runs from March 26 to May 22. Tickets cost 6,000 to 9,000 won. Call 1544-1681 for more information.