“I understood that photography, like any artistic expression, we must look for it deep within ourselves” – Sergio Larrain
The Magnum Photos Parisian Gallery presents a selection of more than forty prints by Chilean photographer Sergio Larrain (1931-2012). The exhibition, curated by Agnès Sire, presents the work carried out by Larrain in Valparaiso and on Los Abandonados, abandoned street children. It invites visitors to discover the perspective of a visionary who became a recluse, whose photography, both experimental and meditative, remains as fascinating today as it was yesterday – if not more. While some of the images may seem familiar, these rare prints have never been exhibited before. Despite a relatively short career as a professional photographer (he left Magnum after four years of activity), Larrain’s extraordinary and lasting impact on the photographic community can be attributed largely to these two series from the 1950s and 60. Known for his thoughtful and poetic images, it is undoubtedly in his profound ability to capture the ineffable that Larrain stands out most.
Born in 1931, the young Sergio Larrain grew up in Chile in a family of enlightened notables. Sergio Larrain seeked to move away from his family environment very quickly and went to study in the United States at Berkeley. Initially interested in ecological issues and forests, he quickly turned to photography while not knowing very well how to make a living. The discovery of the Leica, the object, was decisive. He began to photograph freely along the streets of Santiago or Valparaiso then became a freelance photographer. It was a letter from MoMA in New York that reassured him in the idea that his eye was keen and that photography could be a respectable practice. Very impressed by Henri Cartier-Bresson, his work and his freedom, he presented his work on Los abandonados (the abandoned children of the streets of Santiago) during a trip to Europe. This is how he was asked to join the Magnum cooperative (in 1960). Sergio Larrain thus began a career as an international photographer, producing reportages for numerous newspapers. Back in Chile he carried out a long essay which has become legendary on Valparaiso, in collaboration with Pablo Neruda who wrote the text. Distrustful of the world of the press, he gradually stopped collaborating with it to become more interested in meditation practices while remaining active in Chile. In the 1980s, he finally decided to live a retired life in the countryside to practice yoga, meditation and drawing until the end of his days.
Sergio Larrain : Valparaiso, los abandonados
Until November 30, 2024
Galerie Magnum Photos
68 rue Léon Frot
75011 Paris
https://www.magnumphotos.com/
