There is every good reason to miss Brian Griffin’s magnificent exhibition at the Collège des Bernardins. The location is not known for photography, and you might have already seen Brian Griffin in Arles in 2009. All of the pictures we have seen of his, over the past 30 years, have resulted from orders for businesses or rock album covers. Discovering his childhood memoirs sounds a bit risky. It is absolutely majestic. Combining his unusual portrait aesthetics, his lighting, his obsession with the novelty of the working class, his humor, but also his jargon, the artist, the texts. The installation at this jewel in its own right, the Collège des Bernardins, is astonishing. He has put together one of the most contemporary exhibitions of the season. A must see on your way to the other lesson that is Raymond Depardon at the BNF. The two work well together.
François Hebel
December 19, 2010
