Still on the subject of the exhibition at La Galerie Rouge, here is Alain Mingam‘s point of of view, in which he paints a more psychological portrait of the couple.
Marie-Paule Nègre, Luc Choquer: An “uncoupled” passion for photography
At this time with all the interpellations, from health, social, political which daily call out the people of France, the question again deserves to be asked: “Is this how French women and French men live? »Or always lived?
The Galerie Rouge exhibits a response that will be a landmark (instead of dated) by presenting two twinned series of 30 vintage photographs by Marie-Paule Nègre and Luc Choquer.
Notoriously unrecognized as a couple, except for exacting friends, so as not to impose on them the double penalty of a joint absence, Marie-Paule and Luc, are felicitated by their friends to be known only as exceptional photographers.
Because they have always known, since the creation of the famous Métis agency in 1989, and each with their Niepce Prize, to retain a singular originality in the signature of their photographic passion, whether, among other examples – in the “Tales of the modern life or ordinary misery ”for Marie-Paule, and in the heart of“ Planet France ”for Luc. A respected approach in the realization of their fertile works, without ever having to take the slightest credit for marital complacency, perceived as unthinkable, even an unbearable attack, to the mutual respect for their photographic and creative integrity. Because they have at least one common requirement – the primordial concern to bear witness, to satisfy both humanist and aesthetic concerns and always “tell the story of people” has repeatedly emphasized Marie-Paule of people without stories, one might add, and revive them from social anonymity to gain the public recognition of an exhibition.
The picture rails of the famous gallery created in 1975 by Agathe Gaillard bear witness to this. Agathe Cancellièri the new director underlines this with strong conviction: “However, the two photographers share a common taste for telling ‘the story of people’, they believe in a photography that ‘awakens consciousness’ and continually seek that magical moment where everything fits into the frame, ”adds Marie-Paule.
At the intersection of their parallel paths towards others – poor among the poor – jazzmen in situation – for her, closer to Parisians, Russian women revealed by perestroika as desired and seen by him, then attested by the force of their images, Luc Choquer and Marie-Paule, for more than 30 years have exhibited and orchestrated the richness of their artist visions of the magical moment, lived, researched, shared with mad passion.
Their tempo is very personal, but they give us the pleasure of their crossed visions, voluntarily mischievous sometimes “half-thug- half-voyeur *”, crazy, accomplices like this cheap Queen in a party at Castel by Marie-Paule, or a portrait – by Luc of two colorful young sisters in La Grande Motte. With in the foreground the eye of a dog which is, the subliminal one of the photographer – on the verge of flagrant self-satisfaction – already congratulating himself – with reason – with all thumbs up on the cardboard icon, of the poetic beauty of his image.
Two examples taken from the 30 images among the most famous of the images of Marie–Paule Nègre and Luc Choquer exhibited from January 13 to March 19 at 3 rue du Pont Louis-Philippe Paris 4th.
Paris is well worth a mass says – the adage, in the shadow of Notre-Dame – La Galerie Rouge is well worth the detour in this period of constraining pandemic to live by proxy all these comforting “moments of grace”, sources of beautiful aesthetic emotions. Because head in turmoil, eye on the alert, wearing their heart on their sleeves, Marie-Paule Nègre and Luc Choquer would have already had from Henri Cartier Bresson, a recognized follower of their “their points of view”, a visit full of respect for this unique exhibition “To enjoy without hindrance”, as written on one of his most famous images. »
Alain Mingam
*Ruskaya. Photographs by Luc Choquer, text by Bernad Frédérik.
Moments de Grâce : Marie-Paule Nègre & Luc Choquer
from January 13 to March 19, 2022
La Galerie Rouge
3 Rue du Pont Louis-Philippe
75004 Paris, France
