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Colour Before Color
Hasted-Hunt Gallery
By Joel Simpson
Martin Parr, the well-known English photographer, author
and curator, has put together this valuable show that fills
in a historical gap you might not know existed. It proceeds
from the notion (not entirely correct, but an accepted commonplace)
that color was not considered as an artistic element in photography
until William Eggleston’s groundbreaking exhibition
of color photography at the Museum of Modern Art in 1976.
Here Parr goes to great pains to show us that accomplished
European photographers were expressing themselves in the medium
since Danish photographer Keld Helmer-Peteren’s self-published
1947 book 122 Colour Photographs. The artistic momentum of
“colour” in Europe grew during the late 1960s,
and this is what Parr presents here through the works of six
photographers: Helmer-Peterson (b. 1920), Luigi Ghirri (Italian,
1943-1992), John Hinde (British, 1916-1997), Peter Mitchell
(British), Carlos Pérez Siquier (Spanish, b. 1930)
and Ed van der Elsken (Dutch, 1925–1990). Parr certainly
proves his point that Eggleston was a latecomer to an already
healthy trend.
Having said this, and giving Parr credit for the redress,
I still find it hard to see these photographs as remarkable.
Many of them partake of the same aesthetic as black and white
social or “street” photography—just add
colorful subjects. The main exception is Siquier who offers
close-cropped images of fleshy folk at the beach. These images
use color in the most graphically striking way (pied bathing
suits, crotches, mounds of flesh), with Helmer-Peterson’s
industrial abstracts as a close, if somewhat more subdued,
second. Ed van der Elsken’s scenics and people shots
would have said as much or more in black and white. Their
color lends them appeal, but not depth, while John Hinde’s
rather oversaturated images of recreation fall just this side
of publicity photographs. Am I being jaded? Or has the field
advanced to the point that these historical images border
on the trite?
Martin Parr has a penchant for kitsch, although I find that
he often makes subtle but significant social statements in
his deceptively off-hand work. However, he has neglected a
very important a figure working in color at this time, and
opening our view of its possibilities, namely Ernst Haas (Austrian,
1921–1986). Haas’ graphic sensibity infused his
color photographs, both abstract and figurative, with a dynamism
mostly lacking in the images in this show.
The power of these images is that they defy concept, yet
they are so constructed in their composition as to transfix
the eye, with their highly modulated geometry. Yes, the underlying
geometrical simplicity makes it easy to take them in, while
the heavily layered atmosphere rewards with textural nuance.
This omission notwithstanding, this is an important and informative
show presenting the works of often overlooked artists, who
set a standard for their day, even if this standard has long
since been surpassed.
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This Article
Roswell Angier
Gitterman Gallery
By Joel Simpson
Inspired by the 1950s social realism of Robert Frank, and
driven by a personal desire to answer questions raised about
“cowboys and Indians” in the last conversation
he had with his father, Roswell Angier headed out to Gallup,
New Mexico, to capture the anguish and dislocation of Native
American men of the streets, bars, and jails.
The aesthetic here is familiar; the degree of penetration
in to the lives of his subjects is not, in fact, it’s
exceptionally moving. Angier often employs the technique used
to great advantage by William Klein in the 60s—putting
a subject’s face or upper body in the close foreground
occupying about a third of the frame, with the rest of the
scene filling the rest of the frame. This gives the viewer
both a sense of intimacy with the subject and a sense of social
context. He does this to great effect in his Indian Head Bar
series, which documents the drinking protocols—as in
a closeup of a biceps contest—of one young man he got
to know, and who dies tragically of despair, according to
Angier’s journal entry, which is part of the exhibit.
We also see evidence of this technique in Gallup City Jail,
Johnny Waters and Jonah Joe, and in Johnny Secatero, Burger
King. This last one conveys the cramped feeling of being in
the front seat of a car with a rather large man, as he eats
his fast food. In every case, the foreground subject is looking
at the camera and thus the viewer, forcing an intimacy on
us, which translates into a mute appeal for the simple recognition
of their humanity and state of their soul: aimless, marginalized,
and self-destructive, mostly through drink. The liveliest
part of downtown Gallup at dusk is the liquor store, according
to Gallup, New Mexico—seen (safely) through a car windshield.
The most ironic image in the series (and the publicity post
card), American Bar, Gallup, shows a painted mural of iconic
noble Indian “savages”—Plains Indians, of
course, rather than the Navajos and Hopis of New Mexico and
Arizona—while at the margin of the lower right corner,
we barely spy the head of a sleeping Native American young
man. The real conditions of his life have exhausted him in
midday.
Adding to the depiction of this slice of humanity is a group
of touching photographs of young people dressed up for an
Inter-Tribal Ceremonial. We can pick out the same mixture
of pride and anxiety on these children’s faces as on
any Eastern Anglo going to her First Communion or Bat Mitzvah—except
the costumes are more “exotic.”
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This Article
An Inside Look
The Paris Art Scene
By Laetitia Chauvin
With so many new galleries opening up, and enough free spirited
worldly souls converging on the streets of Paris they could
fill a Hemingway novella, the city of light has its contemporary
edge back, and then some. For art lovers planning to visit
Paris this month during the fiac (October 18-22), here are
some tips about the city’s art scene, including a list
of my favorite galleries du jour.
There are four districts in Paris that are particularly relavent
for the art crowd; all can be reached by walking. You might
want to start here...
“13th arrondissement”
subway stop "Quai de la gare" line 6.
These galleries started opening up on the rue Louise Weiss
about ten years ago. They share a local print guide which
is distributed among the galleries and a web site: http://www.louise13.fr/
After its initial rapid expansion, today this art district
is somewhat laid back. Don't miss the modern Bibliotheque
nationale de France, especially its garden down in the center
of the four towers. Visit http://www.bnf.fr/ (for information
about temporary exhibitions).
Here is a list of the galleries in this neighborhood that
have caught my attention. It is not a “best of”
list, but rather a snapshot of what’s happening today:
GB AGENCY
Tues-Saturday 11am-7pm. 20, rue Louise Weiss, 75013 Paris.
Tél : 01 53 79 07 13 Fax : 01 53 79 07 14 www.gbagency.fr.
email : gbagency@club-internet.fr
AIR DE PARIS
Tues-Saturday 11am-7pm. 32, rue Louise Weiss, 75013 Paris.
Tel : 01 44 23 02 77 Fax : 01 53 61 22 84 www.airdeparis.com
email: fan@airdeparis.com
JOUSSE ENTREPRISE
Tues-Saturday 11am-1pm, 2-7pm. 24/34 rue Louise Weiss, 75013
Paris. Tel : 01 45 83 62 48 Fax : 01 53 82 13 63 matthias@jousse-entreprise.com,
art@jousse-entreprise.com. www.jousse-entreprise.com
PRAZ-DELAVALLADE
Tues-Saturday 11am-7pm. 28 rue Louise Weiss F-75013 PARIS.
Tel: 33 (0)1 45 86 20 00 Fax: 33 (0)1 45 86 20 10 gallery@praz-delavallade.com.
www.praz-delavallade.com
IN SITU / FABIENNE LECLERC
Tues-Saturday 11am-7pm10 rue Duchefdelaville 75013 Paris.
Tel : 01 53 79 06 12 Fax : 01 53 79 06 19 www.insituparis.fr
- email : fabienne.leclerc@wanadoo.fr
CHRISTOPHE DAVIET-THERY
Tues-Saturday 11am-7pm10 rue Duchefdelaville 75013 Paris Tel
: 01 53 79 05 95
www.daviet-thery.com
ART: CONCEPTt
Tues-Saturday 11am-7pm.16 rue Duchefdelaville F-75013 Paris.
Tel: 33 (0)1 53 60 90 30 Fax: 33 (0)1 53 60 90 31 info@galerieartconcept.comwww.galerieartconcept.com
GALERIE KREO
(gallery of design which carries limited series furniture
and objects by masters of contemporary designers) Tues-Saturday
11am-7pm 22 rue Duchefdelaville F-75013 Paris. Tel: 33 (0)1
53 60 18 42 Fax: 33 (0)1 53 60 17 58 kreogal@wanadoo.fr www.galeriekreo.com
GALERIE SUZANNE TARASIEVE
Tues-Saturday 11am-7pm. 171 rue du Chevaleret F-75013 Paris.
Tel: 33 (0)1 45 86 02 02 Fax: 33 (0)1 45 86 02 03 info@suzanne-tarasieve.com
www.suzanne-tarasieve.com
Le Marais
subway stop "Saint-Paul" line 1 or "Filles
du Calvaire" line 8.
Very central, very hip. The openings on Saturday nights in
Le Maris bring out a lot of VIPs as well as a plethora of
artists and partygoers. In the same area, you can visit the
Musée Picasso, www.musee-picasso.fr; la Maison Européenne
de la Photographie, www.mep-fr.org; l'Hôtel de Sully,
also for photography www.jeudepaume.org, and last but not
least, the Centre Pompidou, musée national d'art contemporain
www.centrepompidou.fr.
Here is my list of galleries in this area that would likely
interest an M reader...
YVON LAMBERT PARIS
(30 years in Paris, also has a gallery in New York, their
program is as solid as their reputation. Very good bookstore
too.) Tuesday-Friday 10am-1pm, 2:30-7pm. Saturday 10am-7pm.108,
rue Vieille du Temple 75003 Paris. Tel : 01 42 71 09 33
email: paris@yvon-lambert.com
CLAUDINE PAPILLON
Tues-Saturday 11am-7pm.13 rue Chapon, 75003 Paris. Tel : 01
40 29 07 20 Fax : 01 40 29 07 90 email : papillon.claudine@wanadoo.fr
www.claudinepapillon.com
GALERIE THADDAEUS ROPAC
Tues-Saturday 11am-7pm and on appointment. 7 rue Debelleyme,
75003 Paris. Tel : 01 42 72 99 00 Fax : 01 42 72 61 66. www.ropac.net
email: galerie@ropac.net
GALERIE EMMANUEL PERROTIN
(A fast growing gallery that is already one of the biggest
in Paris, with second space in Miami too) Tues-Saturday 11am-7pm
. 76, rue de Turenne, 75003 Paris. Tel : 01 42 16 79 79 Fax
: 01 42 16 79 74 email : info-paris@galerieperrotin.com. www.galerieperrotin.com
GALERIE FRANK ELBAZ
7 rue Saint Claude, 75003 Paris. Tuesday- Saturday 11am-7pm.
Tel: 01 48 87 50 04 http://www.galeriefrankelbaz.com
email: info@galeriefrankelbaz.com
GALERIE EVA HOBER
16 rue Saint-Claude / 75003 Paris. Tel 01 48 04 78 68 / contact@evahober.com.
email: contact@evahober.com http://www.evahober.com/
GALERIE MICHEL REIN
Tues-Saturday 11am-7pm. 42 rue de Turenne, 75003 Paris. Tel
: 01 42 72 68 13.
Fax : 01 42 72 81 94 www.michelrein.com
GALERIE CHEZ VALENTIN
Tues-Friday 11am-7pm , Sat 11am-1pm and 2-7 pm. 9, rue Saint-Gilles,
75003 Paris. Tel : 01 48 87 42 55 Fax : 01 48 87 44 35. www.galeriechezvalentin.com
email : galerie@galeriechezvalentin.com
GALERIE DES MULTIPLES
(This gallery edits and sells little series of multiples by
artists, such as Jason Dodge, Olivier Mosset, Robert Morris,
Dan Graham... A must see for visitors with small budgets).
Tuesday-Saturday 2 - 7pm and by appointment. 17, rue Saint-Gilles
75003 Paris. Tel 01 48 87 21 77 www.galeriedemultiples.com/
email:galeriedemultiples@wanadoo.fr
GALERIE MAISONNEUVE
(An especially serious gallery that is devoted to its artists
projects) Tuesday-Saturday 11am - 7pm and on appointment 22
rue de Poitou, 75003 Paris (1st floor) Tel/Fax: 01 43 66 23
99 www.galeriemaisonneuve.com
email: contact@galeriemaisonneuve.com
GALERIE ALMINE RECH
Tues-Saturday 11am-7pm. 19 rue de Saintonge, 75003 Paris.
Tel : 01 45 83 71 90
www.galeriealminerech.com email: a.rech@galeriealminerech.com
GALERIE SCHLEICHER+LANGE
Tues-Saturday 11am-7pm12, rue de Picardie, 75003 Paris. Tel
: 01 42 77 02 77
www.schleicherlange.com email: info@schleicherlange.com
FRANCE FICTION
(A very little space run by artists). By appointment or “having
a look through the window”. 6 bis rue du Forez, 75003
Paris. Tel: 06 03 20 15 56 (Nicolas Nakamoto) www.france.fiction.com
email: france.fiction@laposte.net
LA B A N K
Monday-Saturday / 11.00 am to 7.00 pm. 42, rue Volta 75003
PARIS, Tel: +33 1 42 72 06 90 Fax: +33 1 42 72 07 80 http://www.bankgalerie.com.
email:celine@bankgalerie.com email:mc@bankgalerie.com
Saint-Germain
subway stop "Odeon" line 4 and 10 or "Saint-Germain"
line 4
One of the most charming areas in Paris, filled with history
of "avant-garde" art. You can stop by the Ecole
nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts www.ensba.fr and
visit the oldest school of Beaux-Arts, if there are some temporary
exhibitions going on; otherwise just pretend you're one of
the students!
GALERIE LOEVENBRUCK
Tuesday-Saturday 2 - 7pm and on appointment.
40 rue de Seine, 2 rue de L’Échaudé, 75006
Paris. Tel : 01 53 10 85 68 Fax : 01 53 10 89 72 www.loevenbruck.com
email contact@loevenbruck.com
GALERIE G.-P. & N. VALLOIS
Monday-Saturday 10.30am-1pm, 2-7pm. 36, rue de Seine, 75006
Paris. Tel : 01 46 34 61 07 Fax : 01 43 25 18 80 www.galerie-vallois.com
email: ggpnv@wanadoo.fr
GALERIE ALAIN LE GAILLARD
19 rue Mazarine 75006 Paris. Tel : 01 43 26 25 35 email: legaillard@wanadoo.fr
GALERIE KAMEL MENNOUR
60 rue Mazarine - F75006 Paris. Tel: +33 1 43 25 64 80. Web
: www.galeriemennour.com
GALERIE ALINE VIDAL
Tuesday-Saturday 2 - 7pm and by appointment.
70, rue Bonaparte, 75006 Paris. Tel : 01 43 26 08 68 Fax:
01 43 29 62. www.alinevidal.com. email: galerie@alinevidal.com
“20th arrondissement”
subway stop "Belleville" line 2 and 11 or "Pyrenées"
line 11
The most "underground" of the four districts, in
fact it isn’t really an art district in the conventional
sense. Except for Le FRAC (see below) there are no art centers
in this area; it’s just begining to attract the attention
of gallery owners. But artists have been living in the area
for many years. Nestled between the Chinese and Arabic districts,
there are some cafes here that are well known for their Bohemian
feel and loud music.
Galleries in this area that would likely interest an M reader...
GALERIE JOCELYN WOLFF
Wednesday-saturday
2 to 7 pm. 78, rue Julien Lacroix, 75020 Paris. Tel : 01 42
03 05 65 Fax : 01 42 03 05 46. www.galeriewolff.com. email:
info@galeriewolff.com
LE PLATEUA / FRAC ILE-DE-FRANCE
(art center) Wednesday thru Friday 2 to 7pm. Saturday and
Sunday noon to 8 pm. Place Hannah Arendt - 75019 Paris. Angle
de la rue des Alouettes et de la rue Carducci. Tél:
+33 1 53 19 84 10 F : +33 1 53 19 88 19. info@fracidf-laplateau.com.
www.fracidf-leplateau.com
COSMIC GALERIE
Wednesday-Saturday 2 to 7 pm. 7-9, rue de l'Équerre
- 75019 Paris.
Tel : +33 1 42 71 72 73 Fax : +33 1 42 71 72 00 contact@cosmicgalerie.com.
www.cosmicgalerie.com
LA GENERALE
14, rue du Général Lasalle - 75019 Paris. for
opening hours check www.lagenerale.org
Also Worth Knowing About...
LA MAISON ROUGE
This is a foundation owned and run by the collector, Antoine
de Galbert. It offers good a program oriented toward the art
of collecting. www.lamaisonrouge.org
JEU DE PAUME
Located in le Jardin des Tuileries, this space is dedicated
to photography and moving images. http://www.jeudepaume.org/
PALAIS DE TOKYO
This is a very large art space devoted to the making of art.
The director, Marc-Olivier Walher, is has put together an
impressive program this past year. http://www.palaisdetokyo.com/
MUSEE D'ART MODERNE DE LA VILLE DE PARIS
Check out the temporary exhibitions, or see their historic
collections of modern art. A definate must see. www.mam.paris.fr
There are also numerous boutique art fairs that have been
popping up in the vicinity of the fiac. Some are organized
by local artists, such as a fair that launched last year called
Slick. Another one called Show Off draws more foreign galleries.
Then of course the fiac too has spun off its own version of
an alternatve fair, which is the section that focuses on young
galleries and high-end design. The smaller fiac venue is located
at the Cour Carrée du Louvre, Rue de Rivoli; while
the main body of the fair is held at the Grand Palais, Avenue
Winston Churchill.
To be sure, this is not everything that’s going on
this month, but perhaps just enough to offer a glimpse of
the "art de vivre à la française".
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