Philippe Vermès has always loved the arts—painting, sculpture, lithography. A graduate of the National School of Fine Arts in Paris (l’Ecole nationale supérieure des Beaux Arts de Paris), he gradually turned to the art of photography, big format, 11 X 14 negatives, with a Gilles Faller camera.
He cites the summer holiday months spent with his wife and two children on the edge of a small pond in the center of New Hampshire as inspirational. It was during that time spent in these nearby New England villages and towns that Philippe first encountered the « bikers » during their rallies in N.H. at the Weirs Beach, Loudon, and Laconia.
The show—Wanted Bikers—comprises his famous portrait series of bikers taken in the States at the end of the 80’s during two Biker rallies in New Hampshire and in South Dakota.
These men and women, riding astraddle their magnificent bikes, are caught in their absolute humanity–an approach full of serious playfulness and a note of “noble sauvage”.
The portraits were done with a wooden, big format (4” X 5”) wooden, camera using Polaroïd 55 negative/positive film.
What is their inspirational impact on him ?
Well, he says, » their cheeky styles, their passion for their bikes, their free spirit fired my imagination (Live Free or Die is the motto for the State of New Hampshire. »
Their openness, gentle kindness touched him deeply ; nothing more natural and predictable than the classic road trip he and his son took en route for Sturgis and Rapid City, South Dakota, where thousands of bikers were assembling for their annual rally.
He wanted to do their portraits and the idea of setting up an outdoor studio came to him.
He put up a tent along the side of a road near a gas station or general store and asked the bikers to pose for him.
As Vermès quips, « when I take a portrait, I’m not looking for anything. I follow a feeling, an intuition that frees me up and lets me meet the subject who is standing next to the bike in front of my camera. They pose with their dogs, beloved bikes, companions. »
EXHIBITION
Philippe Vermès, Portraits de bikers
From April 15th to mid May 2016
Fototeca de Cuba
307 Mercaderes
Havana, Cuba
http://www.fototecadecuba.com
http://www.philippevermes.com
