Michael Joseph (1941-) - Smirnoff office party
05
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55
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€ 3
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Selected by Kai Brückner
Over 35 years' experience; former gallery owner and Museum Folkwang curator.
Estimate € 800 - € 900
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Description from the seller
“Smirnoff Office Party” — Michael Joseph
London, 1970s — Original C-type Print on glossy paper, Signed in gold pen
Print size: 50 cm wide × 40 cm high
Edition: One of three
A spectacularly theatrical tableau from Michael Joseph, Smirnoff Office Party brings together everything that made him one of the most distinctive visual storytellers of his era: opulence, chaos, humour, and a masterful command of group dynamics. Every inch of the frame brims with life — statues, dogs, costumes, fruits, glassware, characters colliding in meticulously arranged disorder. It is visual excess performed with precision.
Joseph was renowned for these ensemble scenes. His White Horse Whisky advertisement and his celebrated Schweppes campaign are still considered landmarks of inventive, character-driven commercial photography. But it was his legendary Rolling Stones — Beggars Banquet shoot that truly cemented his reputation for orchestrating unforgettable, narrative-rich group images.
In fact, the spirit of that historic Stones banquet — its wit, decadence, and sense of barely controlled anarchy — feels like a direct ancestor to this picture. Smirnoff Office Party carries that same mischievous grandeur, as if Joseph took the DNA of the Beggars Banquet scene and spun it into a new, surreal, high-society fable.
Shot in London around 1970, this is a special print edition, one of only three, and signed by Michael Joseph along the lower margin. The colours remain rich and saturated, the detail vivid — a testament to his analogue craftsmanship and his flair for weaving multiple narratives into a single frame.
A rare collector’s piece from a master who understood that group photographs could be theatres, fictions, feasts, and social satires all at once.
As with all pieces I sell, it will be packaged with great care and devotion, honouring both the history of the work and the artistry behind it.
Seller's Story
My father, Michael Joseph, was an advertising photographer based in London from the mid-sixties to the early nineties. During that time, he created some truly remarkable work — his most famous moment being the Beggars Banquet gatefold for the Rolling Stones.
My ongoing mission is to share and celebrate what we call 'the other photos' — the lesser-known but equally captivating pieces from his archive. Within this collection, you'll find a mix of test prints, images from specific photo shoots, and more personal works, all created with his characteristic passion and devotion.
Many of these images owe their atmosphere to the magic of the darkroom: intricate group scenes, striking still lifes, and moments that draw the viewer in and stir emotion. Variety is key - and I often offer unique, one-off pieces.
I hope you enjoy discovering my father’s work, and I look forward to sending you a genuine piece of photographic history.
Translated by Google Translate“Smirnoff Office Party” — Michael Joseph
London, 1970s — Original C-type Print on glossy paper, Signed in gold pen
Print size: 50 cm wide × 40 cm high
Edition: One of three
A spectacularly theatrical tableau from Michael Joseph, Smirnoff Office Party brings together everything that made him one of the most distinctive visual storytellers of his era: opulence, chaos, humour, and a masterful command of group dynamics. Every inch of the frame brims with life — statues, dogs, costumes, fruits, glassware, characters colliding in meticulously arranged disorder. It is visual excess performed with precision.
Joseph was renowned for these ensemble scenes. His White Horse Whisky advertisement and his celebrated Schweppes campaign are still considered landmarks of inventive, character-driven commercial photography. But it was his legendary Rolling Stones — Beggars Banquet shoot that truly cemented his reputation for orchestrating unforgettable, narrative-rich group images.
In fact, the spirit of that historic Stones banquet — its wit, decadence, and sense of barely controlled anarchy — feels like a direct ancestor to this picture. Smirnoff Office Party carries that same mischievous grandeur, as if Joseph took the DNA of the Beggars Banquet scene and spun it into a new, surreal, high-society fable.
Shot in London around 1970, this is a special print edition, one of only three, and signed by Michael Joseph along the lower margin. The colours remain rich and saturated, the detail vivid — a testament to his analogue craftsmanship and his flair for weaving multiple narratives into a single frame.
A rare collector’s piece from a master who understood that group photographs could be theatres, fictions, feasts, and social satires all at once.
As with all pieces I sell, it will be packaged with great care and devotion, honouring both the history of the work and the artistry behind it.
Seller's Story
My father, Michael Joseph, was an advertising photographer based in London from the mid-sixties to the early nineties. During that time, he created some truly remarkable work — his most famous moment being the Beggars Banquet gatefold for the Rolling Stones.
My ongoing mission is to share and celebrate what we call 'the other photos' — the lesser-known but equally captivating pieces from his archive. Within this collection, you'll find a mix of test prints, images from specific photo shoots, and more personal works, all created with his characteristic passion and devotion.
Many of these images owe their atmosphere to the magic of the darkroom: intricate group scenes, striking still lifes, and moments that draw the viewer in and stir emotion. Variety is key - and I often offer unique, one-off pieces.
I hope you enjoy discovering my father’s work, and I look forward to sending you a genuine piece of photographic history.
Translated by Google TranslateDetails
Date of print
1971
Artist
Michael Joseph (1941-)
Sold by
Owner or reseller
Title of artwork
Smirnoff office party
Condition
Original State
Technique
C-Print
Height
40 cm
Width
50 cm
Signature
Hand signed
Genre
Pop Culture
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