In Gallery 3, around fifty photographs by Raymond Depardon from the Collection Pinault highlight his work devoted to the French landscape.
A major figure in the history of photojournalism, Raymond Depardon takes center stage in the museum’s Gallery 3 as part of the “Remember Me” exhibition. His series “La France,” devoted to the French landscape as it unfolds through roads, homes, shops, and natural environments, is presented here through around fifty images belonging to the Collection Pinault. Beginning in the 1980s, Raymond Depardon (born in 1942) embarked on a long-term project devoted to France, adopting a documentary approach similar to that of American photographer Walker Evans, whose work he deeply admires. Traveling in his van with a large-format camera mounted on a tripod, Depardon methodically crisscrossed France, limiting himself to a single image per location to slow down his gaze and observe with precision. In particular, he photographed subprefectures—transitional areas that are neither entirely urban nor wholly rural and that had long been absent from traditional representations of the French landscape. The series “La France” belongs to a documentary tradition that sometimes approaches the idea of typology, a genre that has become central to the history of contemporary photography. Yet far from being coldly analytical, Raymond Depardon’s images remain profoundly human. Beneath their apparent simplicity lie a subtle sense of humor, close attention to the details of everyday life, deep respect for each place, and genuine empathy for those who live there. This is the great strength of the work: its ability to transform a methodical observation of the country into a sensitive and truthful portrait. Founder of the Gamma agency and a member of Magnum, Raymond Depardon is an essential figure in documentary photography and photojournalism both in France and internationally. Through the sharpness of his gaze, his ability to “look closely,” and his freedom of action, Depardon displays remarkable virtuosity in both his films and photographic series. Whether favoring the dynamic setting of the street or vast, silent expanses, he continues a seemingly boundless quest guided by the same motto: “Develop the instinct to stop life wherever it may be found.” Curated by Matthieu Humery, photography advisor to the Collection Pinault, with the collaboration of project manager Lola Regard.
Admission: 7 to 9 euros.
Source: paris.fr — photo: Raymond Depardon / Magnum Photos Pinault Collection