Slim Aarons Exhibition Pays Tribute to the French Riviera

  • April 30, 2014
Slim Aarons Exhibition Pays Tribute to the French Riviera
The remarkable exhibit, which has been on display at the Getty Image Gallery since the onset of spring, includes a collection of photographs by celebrated American photographer Slim Aarons. The photographs reveal the luxurious lifestyle and frivolity of a generation of Europeans and Americans on holiday on the Côte d’Azur from 1957 to 1975, who regarded the region as their very own home away from home.

Château Saint-Martin & Spa, celebrated by Slim Aarons during a 1986 visit, will display a collection of unique photos that recall the sweet, leisurely lifestyle of the period. Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc will concurrently run a second exhibition showcasing a series of 26 iconic photos of celebrities, sweeping panoramic views and original snapshots taken by Slim Aarons as he explored the hotel premises between 1969 and 1978.

Slim Aarons enlisted in the US Army at the age of 18 under his real name, George Allen Aarons. He trained as a photographer at West Point Military Academy before working as a photo-journalist during the Second World War. From 1950 to 1980, Aarons spent his time photographing the Jet Set and capturing the essence of Hollywood glitz and glamour. He focused on photographing the glitterati in luxurious settings, usually as they lounged around a pool in their own homes. He built his career by photographing “only beautiful people doing beautiful things in beautiful places”.