Shake It: An Instant History of the Polaroid 

Andre Kertesz, Untitled, Polaroid SX-70

ARTISTS INCLUDED:
Nobuyoshi Araki - Rut Blees Luxemburg - Guy Bourdin - Tim Braden - Roe Ethridge - Walker Evans Richard Hamilton - David Hockney - André Kertész - Robert Mapplethorpe - Jonathan Monk - Lisa Oppenheim – Lucas Samaras - Michael Snow - Juergen Teller - Andy Warhol – Wim Wenders

From the lyrics of OutKast’s pop anthem Hey Ya to clues laid out for the amnesiac protagonist in Christopher Nolan’s film Memento, the Polaroid has had a significant impact on contemporary culture. ‘Shake It: An instant History of the Polaroid’ brings to light some of the more intriguing and innovative examples in the history of the Polaroid photograph, exploring its cultural significance and the diversity of its applications. Besides work by some of the most important artists working with the medium, the show will also include Polaroids from other diverse professions and disciplines such as forensics, archaeology, medicine, filmmaking and fashion, as well as those of amateurs and enthusiasts.
With the last batch of Polaroid film expiring in October 2009, ‘Shake It’ is a timely exhibition that captures the aesthetic, conceptual and practical potential of an iconographic photographic format that is on the verge of extinction.