There are words that one wishes he would never have to write.
Jean-Jacques Naudet, the founder and publisher of The Eye of Photography, left us on Sunday.
Photography is losing one of its most formidable champions, one of its last pillars.
Jean-Jacques loved Photography, even more, he loved photographers. For him the work was inseparable from the personality of the one behind the camera. At PHOTO, he gave opportunities to so many of us, supporting the young ones, giving a bright stage to photos that would not be published elsewhere, protecting the legacy of the ones who might have been forgotten. Constantly, Jean-Jacques was looking for images, listening to our dreams, struggles and dilemmas.
There are so many stories to tell, but he would not like that. But still…
When Paris Match wished to publish Avedon, Jean-Jacques was the one and only emissary possible. Henri Cartier-Bresson was sending him faxes from Paris to New York where he relocated in the late eighties as the ambassador of the Filipacchi group. Lunches with Sam Wagstaff and Guy Bourdin at the Fouquet’s, cocktails with Peter Beard at the Raphael, the Carlyle… Countless friendships and stories filled his years, which he kept discreet if not secret. As for him and me, 40 years of friendship during which I owe him so much, but I will not elaborate, he would not like that.
For over 50 years, he was a reference for both the classic and the contemporary of Photography.
15 years ago, after an extremely short time of retirement, he created what would become L’Oeil de la Photographie and which is today one of the leading magazine of the field.
Everyday he received hundreds of messages, going through them to tailor the daily edition of the magazine. I have to admit that often he was much more open minded and modern than me.
I like to believe that his friends welcomed him “upstairs”, Roméo Martinez, Roger Thérond, Helmut Newton, Cartier-Bresson, Avedon, Sieff, Bourdin, Doisneau, Demarchelier… the list is quite large but exclusive.
What a formidable banquet table!
L’Oeil de la Photographie will continue its journey with its team at the helm, on deck daily steering the ship with the eye and spirit of Jean-Jacques.
Godspeed my Friend!
Gilles Decamps
