Mariposa Gallery is pleased to present Bombshell an exhibition of photographs by Ethan James Green opening the week of Frieze Los Angeles. Shot over the course of a year, Green’s latest body of work subverts the idea of the stereotypical “bombshell,” exploring and reinterpreting the concept by inviting his models to style and pose themselves in ways that embody their personal perspective on femininity, glamor, and sex appeal.

Green is known for his uncompromising black-and-white portraits which capture the lives of his New York friends. Bombshell is a continuation of this work, with an increased focus on the collaborative exchange between photographer and subject, further exploring how this relationship manifests in the image.

Starring iconic faces such as actress Hari Nef, artist Connie Fleming, Interview Magazine fashion director Dara Allen, artist and actress Martine Gutierrez, and fashion editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, the project was produced alongside hair stylists Lucas Wilson, Jimmy Paul, and Sonny Molina.

A selection of Polaroids from the project was first published as a zine by Dashwood Books, New York. Green states, “The zine was the first rendition of this collaborative project we embarked on over the summer of 2021. Once we began shooting, the title Bombshell became the driving force behind our days of dressing up and performance.” The presentation in Los Angeles will feature a selection of the original polaroids.

The exhibition is accompanied by a limited edition book published by Baron Books, with art direction by Ben Kelway, the creative director of Arena Homme Plus and POP Magazine, and an essay by Devan Diaz, whose writing has appeared in publications such as Artforum, Los Angeles Times, Vogue, and The Guardian, among others.

Ethan James Green (b. 1990, Michigan) is a New York-based photographer who blends the frankness of his native midwest with the breadth and brilliance of his adopted city resulting in portraits of astonishing intimacy that capture and amplify the essence of his subjects. Working in themes such as contemporary identity, sexuality, and style, he has built a body of work singular in its depth and point of view. Elaborating on his highly personal vision of New York’s artistic community, Green founded New York Life Gallery in the fall of 2022. Green has been the subject of solo exhibitions at Kapp Kapp, New York (2024) and Fotografiska, New York (2022). He has been featured in group exhibitions at OCD Chinatown, New York (2023); Brooklyn Museum, New York (2021); National Portrait Gallery, London, UK (2019); and Dallas Contemporary, Dallas, TX (2019). His work has appeared in such publications as Aperture, Arena Homme +, Double Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, i-D, M le Monde, Perfect, The New Yorker, Time, Vogue, Vogue Italia, W Magazine, and WSJ Magazine. He has collaborated with a range of fashion labels, among them Alexander McQueen, Dior, Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Miu Miu, Prada, Tom Ford, and Versace. Green’s recent projects also include the 2025 Pirelli Calendar.

This exhibition will run concurrently with Peter Berlin: Permission To Stare, an exhibition curated by Russell Tovey of hand painted vintage prints alongside personal artifacts from Berlin’s archive.