The Madonna Nudes II

Martin HM Schreiber Madonna 1979Just as Madonna is to tour Australia for the first time in 23 years, a new exhibition at Colour Factory from 4 March highlights the work of photographer Martin H.M. Schreiber – before she became famous.

While teaching nude photography at New York’s Parsons School in 1979, Schrieber came across a 20-year-old life model by the name of Madonna Ciccone. She was just another model, she was relaxed, composed, did as asked. Some are there to do a job; some give a little more. She was in the middle!

Taken more than 35 years ago at his Manhattan studio, the exhibition features 24 framed hand printed silver gelatin prints and a fine art boxed edition of selected images – signed and numbered by the artist.

Born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, Martin HM Schreiber immigrated to the United States in 1952. During the turbulent ’60’s, he dropped out of college and fatefully joined the Army, where he went to photo lab school. Taking up photography full time after the service, Schreiber went on to teach and lecture at the New School/Parsons in New York.

Returning to his European roots, he presently lives outside Paris. His work has been published internationally in every major magazine and has been the subject of over 40 group and solo exhibitions.

“It is about emotion, it is about thought, it is about preserving something special, or ordinary so that you can see it differently and for the first time perhaps… it is about capturing the perfect moment that records history or a look of love or hatred or depression, that fleeting instant and then it is gone forever… it is a bit of luck and lots of hard work and hours and hours of patience and repetition till the day or the moment when everything converges and is perfect…” – Martin HM Schreiber

The Madonna Nudes II
Colour Factory, 409 – 429 Gore Street, Fitzroy
Exhibition: 4 – 24 March 2016
Free admission

For more information, visit: www.colourfactory.com.au for details.

Image: Martin HM Schreiber, Madonna 1979