American photographer Walker Evans (1903-1975) has to be one of the most popular of 20 th century artists and his shots of the Depression years commissioned by the Farm Security administration are so well known that it took me a little while to visit Centre Pompidou’s show of 400 photographs and letters. I finally went just before dinner at 7.30 … Read More
Jacques Henri Lartigue’s true passion
Photographer Jacques Henri Lartigue died in 1986. His late passion at the time, was to paint multicolor flowers and his last famous picture was the official portrait of Valéry Giscard d’Estaing when he was elected President of France. Seven years before he died, he gave his whole archives, 100 000 photographs and 1 500 paintings to the French State who … Read More
Claude Iverné, at Fondation Henri Cartier Bresson
The two floors of Fondation Cartier Bresson on Impasse Lebouis, were particularly vibrant for the opening of Claude Iverné’s « Bilad es Sudan » exhibition of photographs of North and South Sudan.
Cars are stars at Fondation Cartier
It was great fun as usual at Fondation Cartier for the opening of « Auto Photo, from 1900 to today » a show of 450 pictures by American, British, German, Swiss, Japanese, Mexican, Chinese, African and French photographers who, one way or another, were attracted by cars. Small and large formats, color and black and white, esthetical or social themes make for … Read More
John Stewart, a very special friend!
I met John Stewart twenty five years ago at a summer luncheon in Saignon, in Lubéron. After five minutes, he started talking about his latest trip to Ladakh where he had met a common friend, Hugues de Montalembert. This coincidence was unusual enough to make us instant and long lasting friends ! Such was John’s curiosity and interest for others! … Read More
Eli Lotar at Jeu de Paume
If you only had a half hour to visit the Jeu de Paume’s new exhibitions, I would recommend that you sit in front of Eli Lotar’s film “Aubervilliers” a shocking and yet poetic vision of Paris’ suburbs in 1945. The commentary written by Jacques Prévert is beautiful and the images are from another world. It is a reflection on happiness … Read More
Claire de Virieu invites us to Japan
Photographer Claire de Virieu has accustomed us to beautiful garden photographs covered with snow or shot at the height of summer like those in the book “Majorelle” published with Pierre Bergé. After travelling to Japan in 2011, she has brought back a series of photos of the sacred city of Nara, which are unlike anything she has done before. They … Read More
Mountain photographs in Lausanne
Where else but in Lausanne could an exhibition of mountain photographs could take place and be beautiful ? The Musée de l’Elysée, run with a firm and creative hand by Tatyana Franck, shows 300 prints selected from its collection of 4 000, on a very Swiss theme, mountains.