Brighton’s Impure Art Gallery is displaying the original black and white nude Madonna photographs which were taken of the then unknown 20-year-old by New York photographer Martin Schreiber. Apparently she turned to modelling to pay her pay through dance school, though she reportedly picked up just $30 for this session. When she later became a global celebrity the shots appeared in Playboy, making photographer Schreiber famous in the process.
A similar Lee Friedlander photograph of Madonna from the same year recently sold at auction for $37,500, and prints of Schreiber’s photographs can be purchased from £3,000.
Impure Art is the UK’s only permanent, commercial, erotic art gallery. It was established a year ago and deals in art broadly described as ‘anything from nude to rude’.
Co-owner Jamie McCartney said: “For our little gallery to have the exclusive UK rights to these is an indication of the high respect we hold amongst artists and patrons alike. It’s very exciting to be exhibiting these for our first anniversary exhibition.”
The limited edition photographs and contact sheets will be on sale framed or unframed as well as copies of the original Playboy magazine, books, posters, postcards and other memorabilia. The exhibition opens as part of the Brighton Fringe Festival and runs from May 1st – June 28th.
For further information visit www.impureart.com
