At the initiative of François de Ricqlès and Jacques Lacoste – and on the occasion of the Paris Photo fair 2023 – the gallery at 19 avenue Matignon is hosting, from November 6 to December 2, an exhibition dedicated to the photographer André Ostier (1906-1994 ).
Bringing together 33 silver prints, it will be an opportunity to rediscover an elegant and still little-known work highlighting the artists, couturiers and social circles of the mid-20th century. Moreover, this is the first time that such a set of photographs is presented for sale, an eminently exceptional opportunity for one of the great photographers of this era.
Esthete and man of the world, he was recognised in his time for the finesse of his work as a portraitist, for his ability to capture the grace and originality of the collections of the great fashion houses, or even for his chronicles in images of post war dance balls, dazzling with luxury and creativity.
“Distant, discreet, precise” in the words of Pierre Bergé, Proustian character par excellence, he is the faithful friend of Christian Dior, Max Jacob, Marcel Achard, Marc Chagall and even Leonor Fini. Although he only paid attention to those he admired, few major artists and creators of the period escaped the lens of his medium format cameras.
Through the richness of the photographer’s personal archives – and thanks to the precious help of the Association of Friends of André Ostier – the works presented will allow us to better understand the talent of the man who affirmed, not without a form of malice “I find that in a photograph, there must be a moment that goes further than the image. It is in response to this maxim, which evokes both the artist’s intentions and the nature of the photographic medium, that the exhibition unfolds.
In order to include this project in a longer period of time, it will also include the publication of a catalog, the writing of which is entrusted to the photography specialist François Cam-Drouhin.
Among the artists and couturiers whose portraits are presented in the exhibition:
Artists: Henri Matisse, Andy Warhol, Joan Miró, Salvador Dalí, Alberto Giacometti, Niki de Saint Phalle, Jean Cocteau, Jacques Prévert, Christian Bérard, Leonor Fini.
Couturiers: Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Gabrielle Chanel, Jacques Fath, Cristóbal Balenciaga, Jeanne Lanvin, Pierre Balmain.
André Ostier : Intime
from November 6 to December 2
Galerie Jacques Lacoste
19 avenue Matignon
75008 Paris
www.jacqueslacoste.com
