On Saturday 1st February 2025, Dimbola celebrated the opening of two new exhibitions: Lee Miller – Style is Strength and Marco Sanges – One Step Closer, both curated by Dimbola President and artist, Julian Bell.
Miller’s son, Antony Penrose, and granddaughter, Ami Bouhassane, shared fascinating insights into her life and work. Antony recounted discovering thousands of Miller’s photographs after her death, which led to the creation of the Lee Miller Archives.
The Lee Miller Archives
Ami talked about when she became involved in the Lee Miller Archives 26 years ago and the immense struggles they faced in getting Miller’s work recognised but eventually succeeded in having her images displayed all over the world. Antony and Ami expressed their deepest appreciation for giving more light and exposure to Miller’s photographs by having them displayed at Dimbola Museum and Galleries alongside the work of another talented women, Julia Margaret Cameron.
Lee Miller was renowned for her iconic fashion photography, avant-garde style and role as a muse to surrealist artists like Man Ray. She captured the essence of women for magazines such as British and American Vogue. Living in war-time Britain, Miller focused on documenting women’s experiences and attitudes during World War II.
Despite the difficult circumstances of the time, her photographs reflect her grace, poise, and inner resilience. These powerful images, taken between 1940 and 1944, illustrate how Miller’s commitment to both her art and her principles made her a trailblazer in every sense of the word.
Hinton: We were honoured to have Antony and Ami join u
Dr Brian Hinton (Executive Chair, Dimbola Museum & Galleries), said,
“We are excited to present Style is Strength, a celebration of Lee Miller’s bold sense of fashion and photographic mastery.
“Miller’s ability to infuse strength and elegance into her work has had a lasting influence on the world of art and fashion, and we were honoured to have Antony and Ami join us at the launch event to share their insights and memories.”
One Step Closer
Also making its exhibition debut is One Step Closer by Italian photographer Marco Sanges who has also worked for Vogue, as well as Dolce and Gabbana. The exhibition features portraits of Elizabeth McGovern, Jeremy Irons, Bob Geldof, Lisa Stansfield, Timothy West and several other high-profile artists and actors.
One Step Closer champions the charity Under One Sky, raising awareness and support for homeless individuals.
Producer, Shelley Hasseldine, expressed her gratitude to all involved in bringing the project to fruition,
“Seeing this project and these stars come together to raise awareness and to directly support our homeless friends is immensely exciting.
“Huge respect and thank you to the team at Always In Motion and Dimbola for making it a reality.”
The work will go to auction later in the year, raising funds for Under One Sky.
Both exhibitions run until 18th May. Admission rates apply. Visit the website for more details.
Article edit
10.55am 20th Feb 2025 – Image of Marco Sanges removed at the request of his studio as “we don t like the images of Marco Sanges himself”
News shared by Elissa on behalf of Dimbola. Ed
