International Paris Photo exhibition has it all

By Kunang Helmi-Picard

PARIS (JP): Gray skies dominate the French capital in November, but this year there were enough riveting photos exhibited in the Mois de la Photo to divert the public's attention from unfriendly weather.

The five day international photo fair "Paris Photo" in mid- November attracted serious photo dealers and collectors from all over the world.

The 10th edition of the bi-annual photo festival was launched in late October with triple shows of photo great Irving Penn, recently deceased Japanese photographer Hiro and Frenchman Bernard Faucon at the Maison Europienne de la Photographie.

From 1997 until 2000, Bernard Faucon organized a "celebration" in several countries to which he invited up to a hundred adolescents who were given cameras.

Faucon declared: "This had nothing to do with a photo workshop, this is a celebration, a return to the source of photography -- one takes photos of what one loves, the best moments full of happiness!"

Thousands of photos were taken by these youngsters in Morocco, Indonesia, Burma and other countries. Around 350 of the best shots were selected, put on show and published in a book by Faucon entitled The most wonderful day of my youth.

A hundred young photographers on Java were able to freely express their imagination and some of their photographs taken on the slopes of a volcano are included. The show will travel to each country involved in the project, including Indonesia.

The main theme of this year's Mois de la Photo was Paris itself.

With photos displayed from the 19th century all the way up to the present, 68 exhibitions made it difficult to choose which ones to see.

Among the public's obvious favorites were Paris in 3D with 19th and early 20th century stereoscopic photos at the Musee Carnavalet, German photographer Ilse Bing's impressions of the 1930s, Europeans in Paris by the Metis Agency, Tore Johnson's A Swedish stroller in Paris and recently deceased Parisian photographer, Edouard Boubat's poetic vision of his native city.

The show of surrealist Man Ray and Maurice Tabard, together with that of Parisian interiors by 19th century Atget, attracted a more erudite crowd of connoisseurs.

Cinema buffs were delighted to see Paris au Cinema by famous French film decorator, Alexandre Trauner. Fashion freaks streamed in to see Frank Horvat's Paris 1950 and 1999, A Daily Report or Janine Niepce's photos of fashionable Paris between 1950 and 1960.

The universal scope of exhibitions was a deliberate choice of the organizers and was guaranteed to satisfy a broad range of viewers. Some photo connoisseurs may regret this fact as they prefer a more focused presentation of the latest novelties together with the cream of the past.

However, besides informing the public, the main aim of the bi- annual Mois de la Photo festival is to cater to a more universal approach to photography, reflecting the different tastes of Parisians and visitors to Paris, both professionals and amateurs alike.

Around 95 photo galleries and publishers from 16 countries made it to Paris Photo Fair at the Carrousel du Louvre this year, attracting even more international collectors and photo dealers than ever before.

Visitors were treated to a selection of the collections of five important corporate patrons of photography. Annette Messager's Forme Y, a striking presentation of several framed black and white prints covered by a black net and arranged in the form of a Y, caught one's attention here.

Among the most expensive black and white prints for sale was a Bill Brandt for FF 105,000 and a Cartier-Bresson print of French painter Pierre Bonnard for FF 97,000. Newcomer to the fair this year was The New York Times Photo Archives with vintage press prints at competitive prices.

For instance, the historical Jack Beers photo of Jack Ruby stepping out to shoot Lee Harvey Oswald, who was charged with the assassination of President Kennedy in Dallas in 1963, went for US $7,500.

Noted fine art dealer, Eric Franck, who was present for his fourth edition regards the Parisian photo fair as one of the three pertinent annual international venues besides Basel and Aipad in New York: " Even my Asian clients from as far away as Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong will come here. It is definitely not an event to be ignored."

Based in London, Franck, who specializes in 20th century photographs and photographic literature, represents Henri Cartier-Bresson, Martine Franck, Gladys and Rebecca Horn among others.

Prices attained at photo auctions are generally much higher than those at photo fairs. The Gustav Le Gray print, "La Grande Vague", that went for FF 4.7 million at last year's memorable Sotheby's sale in London, still holds the world record for a vintage print. Man Ray's pre-war artistic experiments are also highly valued in the photo print market.

Recently a print of the Pantheon in Rome by contemporary artist Thomas Struth fetched FF 1.7 million at a Christie's auction in New York. Fellow contemporary artists Richard Prince and Cindy Sherman attained similar prices at various auctions this year. Speculators are obviously counting on prices soaring even higher in the near future.

Fortunately for those not able to afford these prices and who cannot attend these two seminal photographic events in Paris, more information is available on www.parisphoto-online.com for Paris Photo and www.paris-premiere.fr for the Mois de la Photo. Illustrated catalogs are also available for both events.