AT Dorchester Collection’s 45 Park Lane, London, discover the quirky conceptions of esteemed American photographer Brad Branson and Dutch artist Fritz Kok. Set within this opulent hotel on the fringe of London’s Hyde Park, the exhibition, part of a rolling art programme, features a medley of enchanting work conceived by this little-known duo.
Left: Anna Angel | Right: Bick in Blankets, both by Brad Branson and Fritz Kok
The retrospective, titled ‘Indüstria – Glamour and Graphic Imagination’, captures the vibrant alternative scene of the 1980s and 90s, featuring portraits of the era’s most revered artists, musicians and cultural figures. Amongst a nostalgia-evoking array of icons, fashion designer and Queen of Punk, Vivienne Westwood, pop legend Boy George, and lauded contemporary artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Branson’s exquisite portraits fuse the old noir Hollywood glamour of the 1930s with the eccentricity of the 1980s Los Angeles club scene. A curator of the underground, his own studio doubled as the star-studded nightclub ‘Power Tools’.
In his futuristic collages, Fritz Kok touches on surrealism, cubism and constructivism, evoking the Dada aesthetic of Man Ray. Drawing conceptually from photography, collage and graphic design, their work has seldom been presented together since its debut appearance in the 1980s. Together, they form a unique aesthetic, immortalising the subject as a sight to behold.
Left: Fashionism | Right: Philippe à Mars, both by Brad Branson and Fritz Kok
Too Funky Linda
Curated by Lily Ackerman of Ackerman Studios, the exhibition brings new life to their creations, which have been privately preserved since Branson’s death in 2012. With this collection, allow yourself to be a passenger to nostalgia and exist within another time.
by Jay Alexander
Indüstria – Glamour and Graphic Imagination will run until 26 April 2026 at 45 Park Lane
45 Park Lane, London W1K 1PN