English photographer Julian Hibbard offers an adult take on the alphabet book in The Noir A-Z. Replacing whimsical sketches of kids in letter shape with provocative pairings of word and image, Hibbard has concocted a dark and voyeuristic vision. An element of risqué and danger consumes each letter, tying the images into a loose narrative.
The images are sexy. They are also just complex enough to pull emotional strings through an easily read composition. O for 'observed', for example, seduces the reader into spying on an innocent woman. In many of the images Hibbard manages to tie the reader to the scene as active participant and not simply observer. That, in part, is the art of Noir A-Z. And, in full, the fun of the book.
Hibbard's work has been in exhibited in London, Scotland, Santiago de Chile, New York and Los Angeles. He has been honored at the 2008 International Photography Awards and was given an ASME Award in 2007. The Noir A-Z is published by Mark Batty Publisher.
Nick Schonberger
-
A guide to modernism’s most influential architectsFrom Bauhaus and brutalism to California and midcentury, these are the architects who shaped modernist architecture in the 20th century
-
‘Changing Fashion’: a new exhibition explores how photographer David Bailey reshaped style‘David Bailey’s Changing Fashion’ at the Marta Ortega Pérez (MOP) Foundation in A Coruña, Spain is a wide-ranging retrospective of the British photographer’s fashion oeuvre. Here, his son Fenton Bailey tells Wallpaper* more
-
Fly in style with Riva Volare, a partnership between Flexjet and the iconic Italian brandThe classic style of Riva’s motor yachts takes to the skies thanks to Flexjet’s new Riva Volare interiors, seen aboard the Gulfstream G650 jet and Sikorsky S-76 helicopter
-
Anne Imhof ‘Avatar II’ review: a psychological thriller to make you wince and wonderGerman artist Anne Imhof’s ‘Avatar II’ exhibition at London’s Sprüth Magers is a compelling, uncanny probing of contemporary culture, reality and artifice
-
‘Light & Space’ at Copenhagen Contemporary: ‘moving art without moving elements’On view until 4 September, epic group show ‘Light & Space’ explores the past and present of the iconic light and installation art movement. It’s physical, emotional, bodily and disorientating
-
Manifesta 14: an unflinching look at Kosovo’s fraught history and ambitious futureIn Prishtina, nomadic biennial Manifesta 14 draws on the past and future of Kosovo through ambitious art and staggering architecture
-
Documenta 15 review: social practice, controversy and food for thoughtMired in evolving controversy, Documenta 15 has raised critical questions about transparency, accountability and creative freedom. Emily McDermott travels to Kassel to explore how an edition filled with social practice art urges active participation and throws global power structures into sharp relief
-
‘Worldbuilding’ exhibition review: a trip through the uncanny valley of art and gamingCurated by Hans Ulrich Obrist, ‘Worldbuilding: Gaming and Art in the Digital Age’ at the Julia Stoschek Collection, Düsseldorf, explores how artists can embrace and subvert the visual language and culture of video games
-
Frieze New York 2022: activism, NFT action, and stellar shows around townTo mark the tenth-anniversary edition of Frieze New York (18 – 22 May), we’ve compiled a guide to the most exciting happenings inside and outside The Shed
-
Review: Larry Bell saturates senses and bends perception at Hauser & Wirth LondonAt Hauser & Wirth London, iconic Light and Space artist Larry Bell is testing the limits of optical and spatial reality in new glass installations. The show coincides with the artist’s major exhibition at Dia Beacon, New York
-
An intoxicating Whitney Biennial bets big on abstraction, identity and super-sharp videoIn the planning stage since 2019, when the world was a very different place, the 80th Whitney Biennial will run until 6 September 2022
