Sir Elton John is known as one of the greatest singer-songwriters of our time, as well as a respected philanthropist along with husband David Furnish. But did you know that John and Furnish are also passionate about photography? A new exhibition at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum shines a light on their vast photography collection, displaying over 300 rare prints from their collection of over 7,000 images.
Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collectionis a wonderful voyage through 20th and 21st century photography. From Nan Goldin and Cindy Sherman to Bruce Davidson and Robert Mapplethorpe, all the big names you may expect are part of the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection. Covering a period from 1950 to today, 140 photographers are on display in a celebration of 30 years of collecting.
John and Furnish have put together a nuanced collection indicative of their personal taste and unique eye for photography. To reflect the wealth of imagery, the V&A has organized the show across eight thematic sections, including fashion, reportage, celebrity, the male body, and American photography.
Highlights include Nan Goldin’s Thanksgiving, a 149-image series on display in its entirety, three images of Marilyn Monroe, and a whimsical portrait of John by David LaChapelle. More recent work, such as a viral image by Associated Press photographer Julio Cortez, taken at the protests in Minneapolis following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, is also included.
John and Furnish first collaborated with the museum in 2014 when they loaned the institution images by Horst P. Horst. Fragile Beauty is another step in that collaboration and a wonderful way to expose the public to modern and contemporary photography.
“Whether through the elegance of fashion photography, the creativity of musicians and performers, the exploration of desire, or the passage of history as captured by photojournalism, photography reveals something important about the world,” shares Duncan Forbes, curator of Fragile Beauty. “Fragile Beauty is a truly epic journey across the recent history of photography, and a celebration of Sir Elton John and David Furnish’s passion for the medium.”
Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection is on view at the Victoria & Albert Museum until January 5, 2025.
