What’s the story behind your gallery?
We opened the gallery 20 years ago. That was in 1993. I’d just finished studying photography and a friend and I decided to open a studio for printing and framing. He had worked in a very famous studio in the United States, where he had acquired special techniques, including in conservation. It was something very uncommon in photography at the time. We started putting together little exhibitions and I was helping friends like Eva Rubinstein, Lucien Hervé, Paolo Roversi and Clovis Prévot organize portfolios of original work.That’s when I decided to open a gallery, but this time with my wife, who had contacts with galleries in Japan.
What did you have in mind for the gallery? What were you expecting?
At the beginning nothing had been determined except a passion for photography and the desire to work with photographers who move and inspire us. I really enjoyed working with the portfolios and that way of publishing photos, even though I see now how it might seem a little outdated… But to answer your question: it was difficult at first because the photography market barely existed. Photos sold for a lot less, and there were much fewer buyers. And deep down, I’ve always been very meticulous in my work, but I’m not someone who is, let’s say, “commercially dynamic.” So it took a little time for people to discover the gallery and to build up trust. For several years, we only sold one photo every two months. I couldn’t have imagined that the market would be like what it is today, but I still hoped that we would be able to make a living with the gallery.
The artists you represent seem to have something in common. What would you say that is?
I’ve always been bad at categorization, but if I had to define it, I would say that it’s something like a contemporary classicism. That’s the best term for it. Really, though, it’s the singularity of the photographers that prevails over all other considerations. Categories never enter into it.
How many photographers do you represent currently? And what is the price range of the works you sell?
I would say our catalog contains around thirty photographers, of which half are regularly exhibited. The prices range from 600 to 25,000 euros, but the majority sell for between 1,000 and 3,000 euros. The exception is Sarah Moon, whose work sells for between 5,000 and 15,000 euros.
Read full version in French edition of L’Oeil de la Photographie.
Galerie Camera Obscura
268, Bd Raspail
75014 Paris
France
Tél. : + 33 1 45 45 67 08
http://www.galeriecameraobscura.fr
Tuesday – Friday 12pm-7pm and Saturday 11am – 7pm
Current Exhibition :
« Möbius », Luis Gonzalez Palma
From March 21st to May 7th, 2014
