ANDRÉ MÉRIAN @ Zoème

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ANDRÉ MÉRIAN @ Zoème

March 28th, 2024 by fstop

ANDRÉ MÉRIAN: 1984-1987, PONT-AVEN PORTRAITS
April 4 to Saturday June 1

Opening reception on Thursday April 4 from 6 p.m.

“In 1984, André Mérian set up as an artisan photographer in Pont-Aven, in Brittany. In the Aven workshop, he produced identity photographs and commissioned portraits. The protocol is always the same: the model is located in front of a neutral background and photographed in medium format in natural light. Little by little the idea arose of diverting these commissioned images to make them the basis of black and white portrait work. At the same time, André Mérian began to ask friends, acquaintances or even people he met in the streets of Pont-Aven to come and pose, sometimes in pairs, in his workshop. The photographer’s challenge is twofold: at the same time it is about capturing the singularity of the models, with their gaze as the focal point of each image; and to draw up, through hairstyles, clothes and accessories, with the imagination that they summon, a sort of hollow portrait of Pont-Aven in the 1980s. This work continued for three years. Some of these portraits were shown in 1986 in Pont-Aven as part of an exhibition entitled Port-Aven au portrait, but they have not been shown elsewhere since. In 2023, André Mérian decided to revisit his archives, and a good number of unpublished portraits were then added to those which had been exhibited in 1986. The exhibition at Zoème brings together 40 of the 83 portraits comprising 1984-1987, Portraits Pont -Aven .”

Zoème
8, rue Vian
13006 Marseille

Location: France, Marseille Type: Exhibition

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