Leica Gallery London has opened its doors to BLOW UP, the first UK exhibition of large-scale photographic works by legendary auctioneer, art dealer and DJ Simon de Pury.
De Pury, best known as “the man with the golden gavel” for his flamboyant auctioneering style at Sotheby’s and Phillips, has long pursued a parallel quasi-career as a photographer, with this latest showcase bringing together 11 striking images that aim to elevate the everyday into something more extraordinary.
Though he has previously exhibited in Geneva, Berlin, Paris and Moscow, this is the first time his work has been shown in London. “I am very, very honoured and happy that Leica invited me to show my work here,” de Pury told guests at the Duke Street gallery on Tuesday 23 October. “Leica stands for quality, Leica stands for history. You cannot disassociate photography from Leica, just like you can’t disassociate cars from Rolls Royce.”
The title BLOW UP nods to Michelangelo Antonioni’s 1966 film Blow-Up, in which a photographer makes a shocking discovery while enlarging his images, while also reflecting the monumental scale of de Pury’s own prints. “The movie has always been one of my favourites,” he said. “It was based on the life of a photographer, played by David Hemmings, whose character was inspired by David Bailey, a megastar of the photography world.”
The works range from the serene snow-blanketed branches of A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square to abstract details such as raindrops on a windscreen, melting ice cubes in a smoothie glass, and the neon-pink curls of Boris Becker’s ex-wife’s carpet, aptly titled Barbara’s Carpet. “You’re not supposed to know what it was originally, I view them as abstract pictures,” he explained. “All these photographs are unique in the sense that I believe in unicity. I know, of course, photography can be multiplied, but these editions are one of one. There’s no artist proof, no second proof. It only exists in one size, and that’s it. Coming from the painting world, I like integrity and uniqueness.”
Describing photography as his way of keeping pace with a restless, globe-trotting life, de Pury reflected, “In the 18th century travellers had sketchbooks. Today I take photographs nonstop. It’s very frustrating for anybody who’s with me, because every 10 metres I see something and stop.”
Leica UK Gallery Director, Lou Proud, described the exhibition as a natural home for de Pury’s debut, commenting, “Simon’s passion, talent and natural gift for being a maverick in whatever he does is a perfect fit for the gallery. His eye is ravenous and curious, sometimes about what one might consider the most mundane events or details. Simon is an everyday photographer in that way, consuming his environment and seeing the fascination in everything around him. I think that is something we can all do regardless of the end product.”
Running until 30 October 2025, the exhibition showcases 10 XL prints measuring 175.5 × 132.5cm, priced at £7,000 (plus VAT), alongside one smaller 81.1 × 61.8cm work offered at £4,500 (plus VAT), all available exclusively through Leica Gallery London.
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