From top to bottom : |
|
7 December 2005 - 5 March 2006 Born in 1950, Bernard Faucon produced his photographic work between 1976 and 1995. Often exhibited, reproduced, borrowed, and collected, Faucon's work, paradoxically, remains little known, and its place in contemporary art is still ill defined. This is due as much to its singularity (it is a poetic, metaphysical, highly personal body of work) as to the diverse group inspired by it, from the most classic and orthodox in the photographic world to avant-garde artists, as well as novelists, directors, psychoanalysts, and Japanese fashion designers. Over the past 25 years, Bernard Faucon has shown in nearly 250 solo exhibitions and as many group shows, from Leo Castelli in New York City to Yvon Lambert in Paris, in large museums as well as small institutions, because he says "yes" more easily than "no" ! It seems important today, ten years after the voluntary interruption of his work, to present it in its entirety, to reveal the rigor and consistency that lie behind his strange metamorphoses. His themes and obsessions evolve with an economy of means that increases up until the last series, entitled La fin de l'image (The end of the image): an intentional and decisive closure from which Bernard Faucon has not returned. This exhibition will occupy the whole museum, from the ateliers downstairs to the large, upstairs galleries. The foundation of the exhibition is the large collection belonging to the Maison Européenne de la Photographie. The rest consists of loans from the artist and collectors. The nature of Faucon's work imposes a certain order, that of a chronological journey : "Les grandes vacances" (The long vacation) (1976-1981), "Evolution probable du temps" (The probable evolution of time) (1981-1984), "Les chambres" (Chambres d'amour, Chambres d'hiver, Chambres d'or) (Rooms : rooms of love, winter rooms, golden rooms) (1984-1988), "Les Idoles et les Sacrifices" (Idols and sacrifices) (1989-1991), "Les Ècritures" (Writings) (1991-1993), and "La fin de l'Image" (The end of the Image) (1993-1995). A series of early images, never before shown, "Le temps d'avant" (The time before) (1966-1972), will present the basis of his work, the first photographs he took as an adolescent : landscapes in the Luberon, sunsets, portraits of his brother Pierre, Michel, or his grandmother - visions, early effects and impressions that reappear in his mature work. In the downstairs ateliers, Faucon will recreate the intimate setting in which he produced his work, reconstructing his "Cabanon" (little hut) in Provence where many of his "staged" pictures were made. In it he will place all the objects that have not been lost or destroyed (he is a "liquidator" who burns things, who fabricates his perfect moments and then quickly destroys them) : bizarre items, decorative objects, utensils, small paintings. A table will be covered with food, recalling the fact that Faucon is also a cook who spends more time feeding his friends than taking photographs. Finally, there are three videos that take us out of the Cabanon to discover the exterior, landscapes and faces beloved by the artist, and the project entitled "Le Plus beau jour de ma jeunesse" (The most beautiful day of my youth), which Faucon has worked on with young people from around the world since he himself stopped making photographs. To coincide with the exhibition at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Galerie Vu presents "Bernard Faucon, Le Temps d'Après" from 2 December 2005 to 11 February 2006 (2 rue Jules Cousin 75004 Paris, www.agencevu.com/fr/galerie/). A limited edition portfolio entitled "Bernard Faucon, Le Temps d'Après" has been published by Editions du Dragon de Bois. www.bernardfaucon.net
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
