Melvin Sokolsky
Melvin Sokolsky was born and raised in New York City where he started his distinguished career as a stills photographer. At the age of twenty-one, photographer Melvin Sokolsky joined the prestigious staff of Harper’s Bazaar, whose art department was then led by legendary art director Henry Wolf. Wolf, enjoyed challenging Sokolsky. “I didn’t hire you for my ideas, I hired you for your ideas.” Sokolsky went on to produce some of the most innovative fashion images of the 60s. Perhaps most notably his 1963 Bubble Series, in which he depicted the fashion model floating above the urban scenes and landscapes of Paris in a transparent spaceship-like sphere. Women flying effortlessly through the air, rooms constructed as to appear upside down, household objects magnified to colossal proportions-these are all elements of the bizarre universe of Sokolsky’s memorable photographs.
Timeline
1962, Sokolsky photographed the entire editorial content of McCall’s Magazine, a first in its time.
1964, Sokolsky was invited by the School of Visual Arts in New York to teach a special class at his studio in New York.
1969, Sokolsky embarked on a new career in television commercials as director/cameraman. Sokolsky has been honored with twenty-five Clio Awards, and is the recipient of every major television commercial award including the coveted “Directors Guild” nomination. Many of Sokolsky’s commercials are in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
1972, Sokolsky versed in all phases of special effects and cinematography, presented a computerized zoom lens that he designed to the Academy of Arts and Sciences. The system was subsequently nominated for an Academy Award.
1975, Sokolsky was invited by the Japanese Graphic Society to lecture in Tokyo and Kyoto, and was subsequently named Honorary Professor of Photography.
1986, the Victoria & Albert Museum installed an exhibition of photographs called “Shots of Style,” a retrospective of the worlds major fashion photographers. The Victoria & Albert included Sokolsky’s photographs in the exhibit, and subsequently placed many of them in their permanent collection.
1991, the Victoria & Albert Museum mounted a show called “Appearances,” that is slated to travel around the world. The book “Appearances” is available in the United States.
1995, Canon USA named Sokolsky as one of their “Explorers of Light,” to lecture and photograph internationally. The Fahey Klein Gallery in Los Angeles and the Staley/Wise Gallery in New York City represent Mr.Sokolsky.
1997, Staley/Wise installed a major show in their New York gallery entitled “Ideas.” In 1998, Carla Sozzani installed a show of Sokolsky’s photographs at her prestigious gallery, Corso Cosmo 10, in Milan.
2000, The Fahey Klein Gallery installed a major show in conjunction with Sokolsky’s newly published book published by Arena Editions; a 197 page hard cover monograph, “Melvin Sokolsky Seeing Fashion.”
2003 The Louvre Museum celebrated the work of Melvin Sokolsky featuring his iconic image of the Bubble on the Seine on the poster for ~ A Paris, La Mode Est Capital `Ecole Du Louvre. VilleDe Paris ~ Cours Public Et Gratuit.
2003 First Annual Lucie Awards. Outstanding Achievement in Fashion Photography ~ Presented by Ali MacGraw
2005 The Fahey/Klein Gallery installed a one man show Paris 1963 (December 2005)
2007 The Staley/Wise Gallery in New York installed a one man show. Paris 1963-1965 (March 2007)
2008 The Fahey/Klein Gallery installed a one man show. New Work (September 2008)
2008 Hyeres 23 rd Festival International De Mode & De Photographie. Michel Mallard and Raphaelle Stopin installed a one man show celebrating Mr. Sokolsky’s career and imagery at the Villa Noailles; attended by thousands of guests internationally.
2010 The Empty Quarter Fine Art Photography ~ Fashion Story of A Lifetime ~ Bringing together a collection of celebrated fashion photographers ~ Melvin Sokolsky Dubia UAE
(September 2010)
2010 Real Simple Magazine celebrated Melvin Sokolsky with a one man show at the Axelle Gallery in New York. Melvin Sokolsky “Archive” a tribute to a half a century of his work and his exquisite new 472 page book which is a book collector’s dream.
2010 Acte2 GalleryParis presents Melvin Sokolsky. A one man show and book signing of his new 472 page book Melvin Sokolsky “Archive” December 16 2010 – January 10 2011
Mr Sokolsky lectures internationally. As one of Canon Cameras Explorer’s of Light, Mr Sokolsky is an Ambassador for Canon Camera internationally.
PERSONALITIES DIRECTED AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY SOKOLSKY
Nancy Allen… Ben Afflack…F. Murray Abraham…Barbara Bach… Brooke Burns… Candice Bergen… Marisa Berenson… Rachel Bilson… Ray Bolger… Naomi Campbell… Diane Carroll… Joan Collins… Bill Cosby… Julie Christie…Tony Curtis… Danny Devito… Linda Evans… Richard Farnsworth… Mia Farrow… Joan Fontaine… Jane Fonda… Jeff Goldbloom… Barbara Bel Geddes… Eliot Gould… Zsa Zsa Gabor… Andy Garcia… Florence Henderson… Lauren Hutton…
Mark Harmon… Lena Horne… Pee Wee Herman… Dustin Hoffman… Anthony Hopkins….
Quincy Jones… Linda Bird Johnson… Lucy Banes Johnson…
Amy Irving… Janet Leigh… Burt Lahr…Shelly Long… Ali MacGraw…
Jane Mansfield… Helen Mirren… Ricardo Montalban… Zero Mostel…
Paulina Porizkova… Jane Powell… Suzy Parker… Vincent Price…
Dr. Ruth… Lee Remick… Molly Ringwald… Mickey Rooney…
Rebecca Romeyn… Peter Ustinov… Jean Simmons…
Barbara Streisand… Akim Tamoroff… Twiggy… Liv Ulmam…
Robert Wagner… Leslie Ann Warren… Raquel Welch… Robin Williams… Natlie Wood… James Woods… Jaclyn Smith…
Sokolsky client list: American Airlines… AT&T… Chrysler motors… Clairol… Coca Cola… Dr. Pepper… Levi Strauss… Grand Marnier… Pepsi Cola… Polaroid… Revlon… TWA… United Airlines … Volkswagen…
Sokolsky has directed many campaigns for major political figures. Presidents…Governors…Mayors