The bad boy of the photo world asks Eve Jackson if girls from Birmingham are good in bed.

 

At 82 can you still call someone as a ‘bad boy?’ I’m not sure. ‘Bad’ might be a bit strong but William Klein, without doubt, still has a definite glint in his eye. The artist, film-maker, and fashion photographer is best-known for his strange, exhilarating images of Fifties New York that have influenced generations of photographers. 60 years on his unique vision hasn’t faded. He’s this year’s guest of honour at the Visa Pour l’Image photojournalism festival in Perpignan in the south of France. When we meet he pretends to be unimpressed by the event and the work that he’s seen– it’s only later he confesses to finding it interesting and says it’s a delight to be there. (Something he’d probably deny if you asked him.) His work is startlingly different to all the other work on show.