Les Douches gallery in Paris is holding an exhibition focusing on self-portrait, this reversal of vision where the photographers turn his camera towards himself—or is it against himself? The gallerist, Françoise Morin, started with the self-portraits of Vivian Maier, whom she represents, to explore the theme through a very personal choice, in search of the ambiguous reading inherent to the genre. The exhibition features forty photographs from nineteen photographers from different eras. We never tire of the endless variations of the self-portrait—this intimacy of the photographer facing off against himself—of what the artists reveal therein of their inventiveness and the extreme sense of composition that it requires.
Nine self-portraits in mirrors by Vivian Maier offer insight into the photographer’s wide-ranging style. Her fragmented body reflected in a set of little round mirrors. An image in which the act of photography creates a mis en abyme: we see the artist, camera in hand, a light in the other, her reflection repeating itself ad infinitum. In another sepulchral albeit color photo, her face is reflected in a hand mirror placed on a bouquet of flowers at the base of a lamppost.
In addition to the Maier portraits, three poetic “ellipses” by Hervé Guibert reveal much about the artist’s personality: barefeet on a carpet, an open book, shoes; an arm reflected in a mirror; a part of his body making shadow puppets under a sheet. They enter into dialogue with two astonishing photographs by Arno Minkkinen, the quick-change artist, who usually exposes more of his body. In one of the photographs, only his hands and feet appear on a spiral staircase. In another, only his hands stick out from a door leaning against a wall.
EXHIBITION
Autoportraits
A part of Mois de la Photo
Through january 10th, 2015
Les Douches La Galerie
5, rue Legouvé
75010 Paris
France
http://www.lesdoucheslagalerie.com
