It’s one of the editorial staff’s favorites this fall. This book by Jean-Baptiste Pellerin entitled: Paris de toutes les couleurs. The author tells it like this :
When I was a teenager, nothing pleased me more than having fun in the street and being a clown. One day, my father, a little worried, asked me: “But anyway, Jean-Baptiste, what are you really interested in? – Um… – You took photos while travelling? Are you interested in photography? – Um… Yes…”
I replied to put an end to this embarrassing discussion, but a month later, he returned with a Pentax body and a set of lenses that he had bought from one of his photographer friends. It was a real camera, chrome, a little worn, like in the movies. With that, I would be successful with the girls!
There was a magazine in our house in which photos by Robert Doisneau were accompanied by a poem by his friend Prévert.
Touched by the humanism of the photos and by the text, I loaded a roll of black and white film and took to the streets of Paris. Seeking the spontaneity of certain images by Doisneau, I photographed people without their knowledge. Since then, other inspirations led me to have a passion for color and to travel around the world, but I never tired of photographing my city.
In 2014, I radically changed my style, moving from “stolen photos” to posed photos. The shift took place during a very intense experience in a refugee camp set up near my home.
For six months, I photographed the refugees, as they wanted to show themselves, most often full length, so that we could clearly see their clothes and shoes! Taking beautiful photos in these conditions is not easy for me, but the result turned out surprising for its strength and truth. What had been a constraint became my signature when, when the camp closed, I start asking passers-by to pose. Asking strangers to take their photos is not easy and despite my smile, I face many refusals which frustrate me and stop my momentum. But, as the years went by, I became stronger, learning to only remember the moments of sharing. At the same time, my style asserted itself; I gained confidence in myself and became more daring, no longer hesitating to involve my subjects and move them in front of a setting. At first, I didn’t think too much and did not question what I was going to do with these photos, I walked around and photographed people instinctively. Then, little by little, I realized that I was documenting an era.
Everyone was represented, all ages, all origins and social classes. I then decided to make this diversity the guiding principle of my project. And I gradually learned to put aside my prejudices in order to approach and photograph everyone in the same way. When the person accepted to pose for me, as I did with the refugees, we did the photo together. I tried, through my smile and my good humor, to give my model enough confidence to create a natural pose. From this confidence is then born a moment of grace which will make a good photo.
Today, I realize how much I am nourished by all these encounters and by so much generosity. If this work does me this much good, it could also do some good for those who look at it. And in a period where it is easier to build walls than bridges, my photos can perhaps help people to look at themselves without judgment, simply like human beings.
Jean-Baptiste Pellerin
Jean-Baptiste Pellerin : Paris de toutes les couleurs
(Les Grandes Personnes)
16 X 22,5 cm / 256 pages / ISBN 978-2-36193-754-6 / 29,50 €
https://www.editionsdesgrandespersonnes.com/portfolio_page/paris-de-toutes-les-couleurs-jean-baptiste-pellerin-septembre-2024/
