Immediacy is the hopping-off point of William Klein’s photography. His most memorable photographs aren’t images frozen in time but impromptu moments captured at near boil, their bustling activity crowding the frame. Klein’s early reliance on a 35mm camera, high-contrast film, a wide lens, and nimble footwork produced pictures with a tabloid flare, their graininess, dynamic blur, and inky shadows hitting like pepper spray. But it would be a mistake to categorize Klein as a social realist and roving shutterbug, dishing out slices of life on the fly. His work is multi-dimensional, incorporating different media and versatile lines of attack, infused with formalist rigor, critical acuity, and a knack for juxtaposition that could be playful but never cute. “A great Klein photo is a snatched marvel of formal organization but it never lets you forget it is a physical encounter. A kiss or slap. At best, both.” So writes David Campany, the curator of this show, the first major retrospective of Klein’s achievement in decades. Prepare to be kissed, slapped, and perhaps even tickled. —James Wolcott