18-22. november, 2009
paris photo; http://www.parisphoto.fr
Paris …the city of art, passion and history…..and in the depths of The Louvre one finds the most incredible exhibition of photography from all parts of the world.. For four days I was fortunate to indulge in that world.
This year’s theme was Arab and Iranian Photography, which in my view was not a strong trend, apart from the majority Arab galleries that were showcased, there was no clear trend. The Social humanistic issues of our world were more prevalent through out the whole fair. This years winner of the BMW prize, was a documentary photographer revealing women’s interaction in their closed culture. On the short list there was a vast range of photography from vintage to contemporary work exhibiting Adam Fuss, Per Bak Jensen, Ken Kitano, Alex Prager, Barabra Probst …amongst others…
The 102 exhibitors featured an array of photographers from 23 countries, displaying various themes, techniques and work. There was a subtle mix of vintage & contemporary work, and with the market the way it is the tendency is to invest in vintage. Still there is a strong fascinating group of established and young emerging photographers who are leading photography onto an exciting and challenging path. As a viewer it was a journey through issues, time & passion.
The interest for Photography as an art form is increasing. There was a record number of 40,150 visitors to the fair…resulting in no more catalogs….no more press kits…or information…….
One could probably go on for days writing about the fair……but here is a selection of the work that caught my eye, heart and intrigued my soul….enjoy….
KEN KITANO
MEM Galleri; http://www.mem-inc.jp
contact: Katsuya Ishida
An incredible Japanese photographer that is young and emerging. Although the idea of the flow series has been used before by Titarenko there is still room for Kitano. His past work has been layers upon layers of film negatives from portraits generating one person, one culture. He works basically in black & white but with a softness that lets you get lost in the large formats. These large formats are delicately printed. This year he also showed colored work.
SUSAN DERGES
Purdy Hicks Gallery : http://www.purdyhicks.com
Rebbeca Hick: Email: contact@purdyhicks.com
A British art photographer. She uses the technique of cameraless photography to connect the subject to the viewer. These feminine works are absolutely stunning they leave you in the sense of the evening solus. The work shown here is one of the works shown at the fair. They were tall & delicate, eluding the human scale allowing you to immersing into the image.
The prints are ilfochrome and are beautifully printed. As the price is quite high they were still available, but there was an incredible interest for her work at the fair. She has been bought by some of the major museums as well as collectors over the years. There is a full list of information on the gallery website.
Size: 168 x 91 cm
CHAN-HYO BAE
Existing in Costume nr 15
Also presented in the Purdy Hicks Gallery a well-made play on self-portraits. The series Existing in Costume is the illusion of placing oneself into history, historical figures and fairy tale atmospheres. ” Existing in Costumes” is a reflection on his childish dream of dress-up, but also a reflection of the world that he was not a part of. The young photographer (1975) is from South Korea and shows an incredible handle on technique. His portraits are clean and beautifully made and they tell the story….
Swan Lake
MARIJKE VAN WARMERDAM
La Fabrica Galeria ; http://www.lafabrica.com
This Spanish based gallery showed an array of artists.
This dutch artist works with an array of mediums, film, photo, painting, installations. She shows only one unique piece at the fair and it is a still from a video that she has made. The print is a c-print on canvas. And painted with oil.
MARINA ABRAMOVIC
La Fabrica Galeria ; http://www.lafabrica.com
Abramovic is born in Yugoslavia. She is originally a performance artist, which has lead her to explore and use her body as a subject and as medium. This is seen in the series The Kitchen; Homage to Saint Therese. These large format images were intriguing in subject matter and presentation. Self-portraits where she is suspended in mid-air.
One of my favorite galleries that has an incredible collection of beautiful contemporary and classic photography is Camera Obscura, a “very” french gallery with elegance and a diversity of artist.
PAOLO VENTURA
Galerie Camera Obscura; wwwgaleriecameraobscura.fr
An Italian born photographer who works in New York.
Winter Stories
By Jean Dykstra
Art in America, November 2008
“Winter Stories,” the title of Paolo Ventura’s latest series of photographs (2007), refers, literally, to the season depicted, but also, more figuratively, to the final season of one’s life. Ventura conceived of the photographs as representing the recollections of an old man as he looks back during his final moments. Regardless of whether the viewer knows that, the images, with their sweetly mournful quality, are surprisingly moving, given that their subjects are figurines in artist-made dioramas.
The works are wonderful in color and essence. The fairytale characters carry the sadness of the circus clowns. They are shown in large formats and fit that presence. Although they were produced in 2007 and were shown last year at Paris Photo, and they are still available.
They are high in price. The gallery will be informing me of price and availability.
MASAO YAMAMOTO
Galerie Camera Obscura; wwwgaleriecameraobscura.fr
An incredibly poetic photographer that tells tales of beauty and life through small (10x15cm) delicate prints. His photography is well known as well as his presentation form. Sending all his photos in small shoe boxes or as here in small leather suitcases. He prints his images in the darkroom wears and dyes them so that look old and weathered…telling stories of innocence and beauty. They are then installed either frame or not as a collage. But still every photography stands alone.
This year he has also exhibited larger work that are framed and double in size (10x20cm). They are a more direct but still have his softness.
PENTTI SAMMALLAHTI
Galerie Camera Obscura; wwwgaleriecameraobscura.fr
Nailya Alexander Gallery; http://www.nailyaalexandergallery.com
Taik; http://www.helsinkischool.fi
A Finnish established photographer. He is known for his incredible prints. They are printed by hand in the darkroom forming small fiber based reflections of life in the country. His career started early and lead him to the University where he taught for 17 years. He retired in 1991 and received a 20 year grant from the government to work with photography. His work is exhibited and included in museums world wide as well as Henri Cartier-Bresson’s private collection.
SANDRA KANTANEN
Taik; http://www.helsinkischool.fi
Shadow Images
In my new work I have photographed mainly landscapes, still lifes and plants. And an occasional portrait too. The title “Shadow images” refers too an old idea of Plato, that everything perceived is a shadow of the world. The objects or landscapes I photographed are of secondary importance. I work within certain traditions of image just to have a starting point for viewing. I try to state; “visibility begins here”. I have been greatly inspired by artists like Dawid, Timo Kelaranta and Hiroshi Sugimoto to name a few.They have all traced photography back to its own materiality. This is what interests me too.
These are feminine pieces of work that take the viewer from photography into painting philosophy.
SUSANNA MAJURI
Taik; Berlin
A young Finnish Photographer. Strong in presence using the water to embody the subject, color and movement as a major element in her latest project. The prints are beautifully printed and sharp.
The water is the most remarkable. It carries bodies. Water is colour. The shimmer and the deep green. My challenge is to see the reality in a non-traditional light. When I am shooting pictures, I have a premonition that something strange is about to happen….
Prices on request.
ARI KAKKINEN
Taik; http://www.helsinkischool.fi/helsinkischool/artist.php?id=9042
These are breathtaking as they are illusions of light where the photographer has taken the images in the dark and lighten them over time. The portfolio Whiteness are taken in libraries and public spaces.
Orpheus The Artist desires to see invisible as invisible. This is an imaginary and romantic project to know about nothingness that embraces our being. It is giving space for art to happen as art – to see through the necessary limits of the images, to be able to feel the other side of the work.
The philosophical nature of the photographer gives the viewer a journey into a wonder of depth…he reveals light through the images, as they are taken at night in a library. One can barely read the title of the book.
OLE KOLEHMAINENE
Taik; http://www.helsinkischool.fi/helsinkischool/artist.php?id=9022&type=portfolio
They are large-format, technically perfect pieces, largely isolating the grid-like façade structures from their particular spatial context and holding them captive within a surface In this way the works consciously avoid any narrative or anecdotal elements. Nevertheless the chosen frame is still large enough for us to recognize that these are buildings, not simply abstract surfaces. The photographs are thus not trying to make a puzzle out of reality, but they do shift our perspective. The structure – the grid evenly spanning the façade – —becomes a phenomenon in itself….(Martina Fuchs)
The photographer is Finnish born but works and lives in Berlin. He has a substantial portfolio all base on the essence of minimal art. They are strong as he stays true to the graphical expression…
Size: 160x118cm.
VERONICA BAILEY
Gallery Bernheimer; a predominantly vintage gallery.
In 2006, Coutts & Co, one of the oldest and most prestigious banks in London, commissioned the artist, Veronica Bailey, to explore its remarkable archive, which dates back to the late 17th century.
Her solution is unique and entices the viewer to want to open the book up even more and nearly step into it…Although she has done other interesting projects this one is one of the better. The large prints are impressive in size, essence and print.
Print; Digital Process Durst Lambda Photographic Print with embossed corner on Fuji Crystal Archive Papier
ABELARDO MORELL
Robert Morat; http://www.robertmorat.de
The gallery has a list of reputable photographers and are professional to work with.
Morell Cuban born photographer. He grew up and resides in New York. Collected by the major museum in the world, MOMA, the Whitney Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago. In this day and age of digital cameras Morell takes us back to ancient techniques. He uses camera obscura, a large format pinhole camera. Darkens a whole room and paints the room with light from one small hole which he then shoots.
The outer world transcends into the inner spaces..forming murals.
FOTOGRAFISKA
The following two photographer are incredible in their sense of being, history, work and knowledge… they are individually unique but they will be sharing the same arena in Stockholm. Fotografiska, is an incredible center that is new to the world of photography. Two brothers have taken their passion for photography into a new dimension, where they are remodeling a 5000 sqm building into an institution for photography. They open their doors in May 2010 with an incredible exhibition including Vee Speers, Albert Watson and Joel-Peter Witkin…eat your heart out on photography…indulge in books, events, museum, restaurant & bar in an incredible atmosphere…….. enjoy…
VEE SPEERS
Jackson Fine Art Photography ; http://www.jacksonfineart.com
Jackson is an incredible gallery to work with, as well as having an array of wonderful photographers.
The Photography Gallery; http://www.photonet.org.uk
This Australian born Paris based photographer is a wonder. She has a range of projects that show her strength as a passionate photographer. One of her latter project “The Birthday Party” is a portfolio of childrens’ birthday party. They are unique as they portray the strength of children’s character as well as their honesty. They are taken as black and white Polaroid prints and hand-tinted. The first series is printed on cibachrome.
Vee Speers has an incredible portfolio. Take time to indulge in “Bordello” http://www.veespeers.com/Site/Bordello.html as it takes you into another incredibly feminine & beautifully seductive world.
ALBERT WATSON
Forma Galleria; http://www.formagalleria.com
An Italian gallery very professional and show a vast amount of quality work.
Albert Watson is a renowned British fashion photographer. He is on the same category as Avedon and Irving Penn. Although his portfolio includes a substantial amount of fashion photography he also has his own projects. He is a true inspiration in a world of contemporary photography. His background within the field is based on high education, dedication, and passion for the art of photography. Although blind on one eye at birth, this man will never stop challenging the world of photography…
IRENE KUNG
Forma Galleria; http://www.formagalleria.com
She is a Swiss born photographer. She has worked in Madrid & NYC, currently based in Rome. She is trained as a painter and that is very prevalent in her work. She was presented at the fair with two of her photographs from the portfolio on buildings, printed beautifully. They are very structural and “neat”. But also her series on trees are beautiful.
Printing; pigment print on rag paper.
PETER BIALOBRZESKI
Robert Morat; wwwrobertmorat.com
He is a German born photographer. Originally his field of expertise was politics and sociology. through his extensive travels through Europe he has taken photographs of vast lands. Resulting in the series Paradise Now. They are portrayed in luscious colors revealing a depth in society.
In his new project, Paradise Now , the photographer examines the transformation of urban wastelands, many of them located on the peripheries of cities. The photographs were taken in more than twenty-eight cities and fourteen countries—including Hamburg , Dubai , New York , Singapore , New Delhi , and Kuala Lumpur —and portray the phenomenon of the transition from old to new, from the familiar to the abstract.
FRIEDERIKE VON RAUCH
Fifty-One Fine Art Gallery; http://www.gallery51.com
A Berlin based gallery with plenty to choose from.
She is a Berlin based photographer. F. von Rauch presents very clean cut architectural photographs, but the roughness of the room gives the photographs a painters feel to them. They are about space and the way graphic form takes over space.
JORMA PURANEN
Galerie Anhava; http://www.anhava.com
This Finnish Photographer is renowned world wide for his work. He has also lifted Finnish photography up to a different level. A professor in art and art history at the University at Helsinki has also given him room to work within in his field. He has over the year presented several projects.
In the project In Shadows, reflections and all that sort of thing, in turn, I photographed disturbing reflections on the surface of paintings. These reflections arouse in the viewer some kind of feeling of vulnerability, which is created by the tensions between the moment and permanence, between a flash of light and patina that is centuries old. This work was not about addressing the relationship of the original and the copy, but about the photographic process as such, the complex ways of seeing, the possibility of presence….. an attempt to create a living context, in which the people shown in those images and perhaps their fates could be readdressed.
in addressing these portraits one see this, and they are magestic at the same time…
The Ice Prospects is another series that is based on the dance of reflections in the landscape.
- ICY PROSPECTS #54, 2008 c-print, Diasec, 163 x 201 cm, ed. 6
Jean-Luc Godard has said that ‘the photograph is not a reflection of reality but instead the reality of reflection’.
The List goes on ….enjoy……
serendipity 