‘Hervé’ wasn’t his real name. It was given to him when he joined the Resistance. As a young man, he was politically committed, courageous, adventurous and free. After the war, he led a simple life and worked hard. The body of work that he produced continues to be of great interest.
Recognition came late, but he retained his modesty and moral code. He was awarded the Legion d’Honneur. I only knew him at the end of his life. He was a quiet man.
Papers, scissors, folders, dividers, sorters, signature books, bookmarks, labels, pens, pencils, markers and highlighters, paper clips, staples, mints and colored tape are the office accessories Hervé used to organize the enormous amount of documents he had accumulated over the course of his career.
Bringing together the personal objects and work files, this series of photographs isn’t merely to understand Hervé’s particular system and logic. It completes his body of work by sketching the character of a man of flesh and bone who took great pleasure in spending every moment of his life creating.
Illés Sarkantyu
Illés Sarkantyu graduated from the University of Art and Design in Budapest in 2000 and taught there until 2002, when he moved to Paris. A photographer by training, Sarkantyu has taken an interest in the moving image.
Illés Sarkantyu : Hervé
From October 12th to November 6th, 2012
La galerie Benj
56 rue Saint Sébastien
75011 Paris – France
By appointment.
