Slim Aarons ‘ iconic poolside photographs

By Bebe Leone

“Slim Aarons shot the kind of life that most of us dream of living” Scott Shuman

Poolside gossip , 1970: shot at architect Richard Neutra’s desert house for E. Kaufmann, Palm Springs The Story of Slim Aarons ‘ poolside photographs

Settings: From Palm Beach to Palm Springs, from Antibes to Porto Ercole, from Mexico to Morrocco, the Jet Set’s pools in between the 50s and the early 80s

Leading Actor: Photographer of the beautiful and the celebrated, the rich and the powerful, Slim Aarons (1916-2006) made a career, in his words, “photographing attractive people doing attractive things in attractive places.” 

Plot:   Through his stylish , flawless images, Slim Aarons takes us on a journey to the Jet Set ‘s most intimate playground: the pool. Notoriously with plenty of time to spend in amusement and leisure, the rich and the famous love to gather around a pool, be it in a 5 stars hotel in the French Riviera or in a charming designer villa by the desert, for an afternoon of sun, or a cocktail party in the evening. As an undisputed star, the pool is often the central element in Aarons’ images: from its blue, crystal clear water unravels a whole world of refined people living a glamorous, carefree life, to which Aarons was given privileged access and of which he gives an unprecedented peek. No stylists, no makeup artists, just iconic lifestyle photos on prosperous WASP America in between the 50s and the 80s, an incredible source of inspiration for the lovers of vintage glamour. “Beyond any anthropological notions, the artist seeks above all to represent a lifestyle that treads the fine line between paradise-on-earth and a fake, fairytale decor..Rather than simply capturing a social milieu, the artist strives to represent a way of living life ‘as spectacle”. (in Yellow Korner)   Nice Pool, 1955. American writer C.Z Guests and her son, in front of their Grecian temple pool on the ocean-front estate, Villa Artemis, Palm Beach.    Penthouse Pool, Athens, 1961 Babe Paley poolside at her cottage Round Hill, Jamaica, 1959 Alvin and Lilly Fuller outside their new home in Palm Beach, Florida, pose with their fashionable European sports car, the Mercedes 190SL, 1970. Flinstone Home, 1973. Carl Hovgard’s home, Arizona, built around the boulders on a desert site Home of architect Arturo Pani in Acapulco, Mexico, January 1971. Keep Your Cool, 1978. Carmen Alvarez enjoying a game of backgammon with Frank ‘Brandy’ Brandstetter in a swimming pool at Acapulco. Poolside at Laguna Beach Rita Aarons, wife of photographer Slim Aarons, on a lilo in a swimming pool decorated for Christmas, Hollywood, 1954.All photos ©Slim Aarons To know more: Poolside with Slim Aarons