Great black and white photographers, PART 2

William Klein

William was born on April 19, 1928 in New York, New York. Him and his family were poor Jewish immigrants. He felt alienated in his Irish neighborhood. Students from school and kids on the street picked on him because of his religion and culture. Klein was known as the bright, sarcastic kid who liked art and humanities. He loved the moma, museum of modern art. It was like a second home to him from the age 12 and on. At the age 14 he was 3 years ahead of his classmates and enrolled in the city college of New York where he studied sociology. When he turned 18, William joined the US army for two years as a radio operator and stationed in Germany and France. After his discharge he settled in Paris to become a painter. He exhibited in Italy while working with Fernand Leger and he painted a series of abstract murals for Italian architects. Klein was an artist using photography. He set out to re-invent the photographic document. His photots were mostly blurred and out of focus, often almost pushing his camera with wide angle lens into peoples faces. In 1956 he went on to publish a book in New York. It featured this quick reflex 35mm street photography with a graphic design and text. This was later followed by his other books Rome, Moscow and Tokyo. Klein also made a number of movies. His first movie was Broadway by Light. In 1962 he gave up still photography to produce films on Muhammad Ali and Little Richard, the Vietnam War, and experimental films 'Mr Freedom and 'Qui-Etes Vous Polly Magoo' for Vouge. Then in 1980 he went back to still photography.