SPECIAL PRESENTATION FOR PARIS PHOTO

AT THE OCCASION OF PARIS PHOTO, THE GALLERY IS PLEASED TO PRESENT A SELECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS FROM GREAT MASTERS OF THE 20th CENTURY

NOV 5TH - DEC 10TH, 2024

This selection explores 20th-century photography by showcasing the work of some of its greatest artists. Each photographer embodies a unique era, aesthetic, and intention, contributing to shaping our vision of the image and the world. These varied perspectives attest to the richness and diversity of 20th-century photography, reflecting not only each artist’s unique sensitivity but also the historical, cultural, and aesthetic context of each work.

PETER BEARD (1938 - 2020)

Peter Beard, an American photographer, artist, and adventurer, profoundly impacted the world of photography with a visceral and committed approach centered on African wildlife and the wild landscapes of Kenya. His fascination with the raw beauty of nature, confronted by the ravages of human intervention, led him to settle in East Africa. For Beard, each photograph is not just a frozen image but an entry into his personal diary, a trace of his commitment, intertwining his emotions with the realities of the natural world.

“I Will Write Whenever I Can,” created in 1965, perfectly embodies this fusion of visual art and personal journal. As is his custom, Beard combines photography with graphic elements—bloodstains, a feather, handwritten annotations—that transform the composition into a kind of visual confession. This self-portrait, where he depicts himself writing in his journal, becomes a symbol of his work: a raw and sincere testament to his relationship with Africa, where each image is a fragment of his lived experience.

ROBERT MAPPLETHORPE (1946 - 1989)

(USA, 1946-1989) Robert Mapplethorpe explores classical beauty and sensuality with an often controversial approach. His sculptural portraits of bodies and flowers, composed with an almost architectural rigor, question the boundaries of sexuality and gender, contributing to the evolution of queer art and the representation of sexuality since the 1980s. His aesthetic approach, both classical and transgressive, seeks to elevate controversial themes to the realm of art. This blend of formal beauty and provocation has sparked as much admiration as censorship, particularly within conservative circles, opening a dialogue about artistic freedom in the face of social norms.

JOEL STERNFELD ( 1944 - )

Joel Sternfeld, a pioneer of color photography in America, documents urban and rural landscapes of the 1970s and 1980s, creating a complex portrait of the United States through scenes that are both mundane and rich in social history. In the series On This Site: Landscape in Memoriam, Sternfeld photographs ordinary places marked by past tragedies: murders, disasters, or social violence. Through these images of everyday landscapes, he reveals the latent and invisible memory of these spaces, questioning our collective relationship to memory and forgetting.

IRVING PENN (1917 - 2009)

Irving Penn significantly influenced modern photography by redefining the codes of composition and portraiture, offering an artistic vision where simplicity becomes a source of depth. Recognized for his ability to transcend everyday subjects and imbue them with rare visual power, he isolates his objects in stripped-down compositions that emphasize their fragility and ephemeral beauty. By mastering lighting and composition, Penn gives them a magnetic presence, transforming the trivial into the iconic.

NAN GOLDIN (1953 - )

Nan Goldin, an American photographer, is known for her intimate and raw work that explores the most personal aspects of life. By documenting her own existence and that of her circle, Goldin has developed a photographic style that is almost akin to a visual diary. Through often raw and emotional images, she captures the realities of love, friendship, sexuality, and moments of fragility, without artifice or judgment.

Her photography focuses on details, gazes, and gestures that reveal deep and personal narratives. With an uncompromising style, she opens a window into often marginalized lives, celebrating the beauty and vulnerability of human experience.

LARRY CLARK ( 1943 - )

Larry Clark’s work is primarily defined by a raw and unfiltered exploration of photography. His documentary approach captures the intimacy and vulnerability of his subjects with a sometimes shocking realism. His works, such as the photographic series Tulsa, published in 1971, immerse us in the inner worlds of marginalized youth in America, candidly exposing the realities of drug addiction, sexuality, and violence, providing a stark and sometimes shocking mirror of society in the 1960s and 70s.

NOBUYOSHI ARAKI (1940- )

Nobuyoshi Araki’s work serves as a bridge between different facets of the human experience, addressing themes often deemed taboo with disarming authenticity, inviting the viewer to rethink their perceptions of sexuality and intimacy. His work embodies a dialogue between tradition and modernity, offering a poetic and introspective vision of love, suffering, and mortality..