'Viva Boxing 1977', photographed in the Bronx by Jim Lee in 1977, printed by Martin Clark at the RCA, London, 2006.

Colour photograph by Jim Lee showing models in long dresses in a boxing ring, with a 'real' fight in the background. The photograph was taken on a Nikon F camera using an 85mm lens. The lighting set up involved lighting the boxing ring from above and then the girls separately.

Given by Jim Lee

This photograph was one of a series of three double page spreads commissioned by ' Viva ' magazine. The photograph was taken in a boxing ring in the Bronx, New York and styled by Anna Wintour. The photograph was taken on a Nikon F camera using an 85mm lens. The lighting set up involved lighting the boxing ring from above and then the girls separately. The extras in the shot were asked to come the night before and spend the evening partying, drinking, smoking and having fun to create the right kind of atmosphere. Jim Lee then brought the girls in the next morning and set them against the seedy and well abused location. The contrast works well and enhances the girl's elegance.

Jim Lee established himself as a leading international photographer based in London, Paris, Milan and New York, shooting for such clients as Valentino, Alexander McQueen, Versace and Yves Saint Laurent. His great breakthrough was meeting the diva of fashion editors, Anna Wintour, at that time the assistant fashion editor at Harpers and Queen, who he regularly collaborated with to produce some of his best work, which continued years later after they both moved to New York.
Central to his work is the concept of telling stories which he creates using casts of three or three hundred and extraordinary locations and props. He has recently re-emerged as an active photographer working on numerous magazine editorials with top fashion stylists.

Recently Jim Lee has moved seamlessly into directing TV commercials, his first film was for Levi’s followed by several fashion and beauty commercials. In 2003/4 he had six photographs showing in the Ossie Clark retrospective at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Printed from the original negatives by a student of the Royal College of Art, London.

This photograph was one of a series of three double page spreads commissioned by ' Viva ' magazine. The photograph was taken in a boxing ring in the Bronx, New York and styled by Anna Wintour. The extras in the shot were asked to come the night before and spend the evening partying, drinking, smoking and having fun to create the right kind of atmosphere. Jim Lee then brought the girls in the next morning and set them against the seedy and well abused location. The contrast works well and enhances the girl's elegance.

E.12-2006