Of course now looking back we look at Klein as a visionary and a genius in his work and approach. However when he was photographing at the time, people either hated his work or didn’t understand how unique or original it was.
When talking about his pivotal New York Book, “Life is Good & Good For You in New York (1956)“, Klein had this to say:
“The resulting book went against the grain thirty years ago. My approach was not fashionable then nor is it it today.” – William Klein (1990)
In an interview with Klein (in his Aperture Monograph book), he shares how much American publishers abhorred his work:
“In the 1950s I couldn’t find an American publisher for my New York pictures,” he says. “Everyone I showed them to said, ‘Ech! This isn’t New York – too ugly , too seedy and too one-sided.’ They said ‘This isn’t photography, this is shit!’” – William Klein (1981)