Lucien Clergue’s photography was intuitive from the start and, at the age of twenty, he enjoyed the benefit of decisive support and advice from the mentors he chose for himself: one day, as he was leaving a bullfight, he went to show his work to Pablo Picasso who took him under his wing and suggested he meet Jean Cocteau. After that encounter in 1956, he developed a close friendship with both men , he met them regularly in Arles, Paris, Mougins and Cannes, and he later introduced them to Manitas de Plata.
Picasso designed the covers of some of Clergue’s first books while Jean Cocteau advised him on his choice of titles and wrote texts to go with the photographs.
Cocteau also invited Lucien Clergue to take part in the filming of The Testament of Orpheus in the quarries of Baux-de-Provence.
Jean-Maurice Rouquette pointed out the similarities between the poem Amers (1957) by Saint-John Perse and Clergue’s photographs. Circumstances conspired to bring the photographer and the poet-diplomat together. They became close and Clergue went on to illustrate a reedition of the famous poem.
François Hébel and Christian Lacroix
EXHIBITION
Lucien Clergue 1934 – 2014
From November 14th, 2015 to February 25th, 2016
Le Grand Palais
avenue Winston Churchill
75008 Paris
France
http://www.grandpalais.fr
