Turbulent America, exhibited at the moment at Sous Les Etoiles Gallery in New York, represents a selection of French photographer Jean-Pierre Laffont’s work from the 1960s, ‘70s, and ‘80s that capture the genuine sense of what it was like to live in America during these decades. As a photographer for the Gamma Agency, then for Sygma Photo News, as well as a White House Correspondent, Laffont traveled across the country to portray the America that he saw with an insatiable curiosity. Laffont’s work embodied the popular slogan of the time; “the personal is political.” His photographs provide viewers with an unaltered look into American life, from protests for and against the Vietnam War, Civil Rights movements marching on Washington, Nixon’s departure from the White House, the Flower Power movement, the first gay pride parades, or even New York gangs. While Turbulent America represents an America in flux, it also gets to the heart of what it means to be American; highlighting the complexity and diversity that was so integral to American counterculture at that time. It also portrays a country that is torn by civil war, racial inequality, and violence, but one that is also filled with hope, optimism and growth. Speaking about these images Laffont comments: “They do what photographs do best: freeze decisive moments in time for future examination. These photographs form a personal and historical portrait of a country I have always viewed critically but affectionately, and to which I bear immense gratitude.”
Jean-Pierre Laffont, Turbulent America
November 16, 2017 to January 6, 2018
Sous Les Etoiles Gallery
100 Crosby St #603
New York, NY 10012
USA
