“When shooting, I sometimes understand what I see right away; but I sometimes feel things without understanding them, trust my instinct, leaving the field free for a moment. And so, day after day, I try to find and reveal tiny fragments of life, of time, without being able to say it, not finding the right words. In sum, I could only say one thing: I make images, just images … because to reflect an image is to run the risk of seeing it disappears. ” – Pierrot Men
Pierrot Men is the photographer of Madagascar. Originally from the island, he has always photographed his homeland, the children who live there, and captures with his images the soul of his country. The ARGENTIC gallery is proud to present from October 24 to November 30, 2019 a selection of photographs of Pierrot Men around the theme of childhood, “zazakely” in Malagasy.
Self-taught in photography, Pierrot Men works with his instinct. He trusts himself in order to “reveal tiny fragments of life, of time, without being able to describe them because to reflect an image is to run the risk of seeing it disappear forever”.
Born in Madagascar of a Chinese father and a Madagascan mother, Pierrot Men oriented himself toward painting. From this practice that he exercised for 17 years he keeps a keen sense of composition and framing. Then came the switch to photography when he created his photo studio in 1974. From that moment, Pierrot Men fixed on his film those he loves most: the Malagasy and especially children. He captures them in their familiar everyday life, moments of surprise torn from an indecisive and sometimes difficult reality. He leaves the field free to snapshot to capture the vivacity and joy of his subjects.
“With Pierrot Men, things are moving everywhere. More dynamic is complicated, immediately this momentum, I find it in a good and beautiful part of his work. It’s composed and it flies, it jumps, it climbs, it dives, it swirls. Movement. “That,” children. Which are better than “that”. ”
Jacques Doillon
Book
After “La Mer comme Quotidien”, the first opus of the “Gens de Mada” collection on seafarers published in 2018, Pierrot Men takes us this year to the world of children of Madagascar. “Zazakely – Children of Madagascar” are children at school, children at work, children playing. An uncompromising portrait of this youth, which is the future of Madagascar, a hopeful portrait carried by the wonderful texts of Johary Ravaloson and Jacques Doillon.
Hosti Editeur, in partnership with the association Zazakely Sambatra. Parution: September 2019, 25 x 25 cm – 96 pages – 75 photographs. Texts of Stéphane de Bourgies, president of the association Zazakely Sambatra Johary Ravaloson, writer and Jacques Doillon, filmmaker.
Edition of 2000 copies, including 75 deluxe editions, with case and original single print signed by Pierrot Men. Price of the standard edition = 30 €
Price of the deluxe edition = 130 €
Encounter / Book signing with Pierrot Men
Wednesday 30 October 18h – 21h and Saturday 2 November 14h – 19h
Practical information
Galerie ARGENTIC
43 rue Daubenton 75005 Paris
From Thursday October, 24 to Saturday November 30, 2019
From Tuesday to Saturday from 3pm to 7pm
More information on: http://www.argentic.fr/exhibition-146.html
Information
Galerie ARGENTIC
43 Rue Daubenton, 75005 Paris, France
October 24, 2019 to November 30, 2019
