Saul Leiter Retrospective

It seems an irony that Saul Leiter (1923-2013) always considered himself more a painter than a photographer. Firstly, because it was the latter that made his name. Secondly, because he wasn't really that good at the former. Leiter moved to New York in the 1940s, soaked up the abstract expressionist scene, and occasionally showed his twitchy, garish, overworked paintings in galleries in the East Village. Fortunately, alongside the art exhibitions, he also visited a show of Henri Cartier-Bresson’s photography in 1947. Soon after, he bought a Leica, started taking pictures on the city’s streets and, as they say, the rest is history. Whether it was shooting fashion snaps for Elle and Vogue or conjuring up photographic poetry with neon-filled pictures of kissing couples and stooped men in raincoats, Leiter captured the spirit of the Big Apple like noone else. Realised in collaboration with the Saul Leiter Foundation, this extensive retrospective consists of around 200 pieces – from classic monochrome images to paintings – and will coincide with a programme of three New York-themed films at Bunkamura's Le Cinema.