Frank Horvat  (French, 1928) 

Frank Horvat (French, b.1928) likes to present himself as “the least-known famous photographer.” He made his début as a photojournalist in the 1950s, and went on to collaborate with numerous fashion magazines, including Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, and Jardin des Modes. The eclecticism of genres and techniques in Horvat photographs renders his labelling a difficult task, but there is a clear vision throughout, regardless of category or subject. Horvat has been influenced by icons such as Henri Cartier-Bresson (French, 1908–2004), August Sander (German, 1876–1964), and Irving Penn (American, 1917–2009). However, the importance of literature in Horvat’s outlook on Fine Art photography, and the artist’s reflections on the image and its context, result in a very personal aesthetic.

Horvat invented a new way of photographing models for his fashion shoots, though he did so almost reluctantly. He would bring models down into the street and photograph them in real life contexts, amongst the habitués of a neighbourhood bar, or alongside the residents of a small French village. At the beginning of the 1980s, when an illness that affected his eyesight briefly forced him to put his camera aside, Horvat threw himself into a series of interviews with notable photographers, including Helmut Newton (German, 1920–2004), Sarah Moon (French, b.1941), and Robert Doisneau (French, 1912–1994). These interviews became the basis of his Entre Vues series. As early as 1989, Horvat became interested in digital photography. The artist’s curiosity about new technologies inspired him to create an iPad application, Horvatland, which includes more than 2,000 of his photographs, paired with his own audio or written notes.

Horvat’s work has been exhibited at various prestigious international museums. His photographs are held by notable international art institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, NY, and the Centre Pompidou in Paris, France.