Far Out Fashion | 2014

We are excited to announce this show of fashion photographs made between 1966 and 1970 by renowned photographer Fred Maroon (1924-2001). Maroon’s career, which spanned more than half a century, touched on subjects from fashion to food, architecture to landscapes, and photojournalism to politics. He received numerous awards and his works are featured in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the International Center of Photography in New York, and the Library of Congress in Washington, DC.

Maroon is perhaps best known for his poetic photographs of DC’s landmarks and neighborhoods, reflecting his unique perspective on the city he loved. His documentation of the Nixon administration is historic, spanning the entire period from inauguration, through the Watergate scandal, to resignation. Among his many books was Maroon on Georgetown, a fond look at the village he called home.

What is less well known is that most of Maroon’s work was done outside of Washington during what was known as the Golden Age of Magazines. This current exhibition features a series of fashion photographs done on assignments for LOOK Magazine in exotic places such as Outer Mongolia, Leningrad, Moscow, Afghanistan, Japan, and on the Colorado River. The locations were selected by Maroon for their historic and visual importance; he later described these projects as “the most adventurous, risky part of my fifty year photographic career, both physically and creatively.” He and his small team faced challenges ranging from arrest by Soviet officials, the near stoning of a female model in the Bamiyan Valley, to transporting nearly a million dollars worth of pearls from Tokyo to Kyoto (in a small brown paper bag—much less likely to attract attention). The resulting photographs are utterly enchanting. Through color, composition, and contrast, they pull the viewer into perfectly choreographed moments of beauty.

Maroon’s fashion photographs demonstrate the versatility of one DC artist’s reach around the world. They will be exhibited for the first time ever as a collection at Artist’s Proof in Cady’s Alley between May 15 and June 1.

All are welcome and encouraged to attend. Please let me know if you have any questions!