Some children are raised in squares, others in photography fairs.
This is the case of Christophe Lunn, the son of the legendary Harry Lunn.
Here are some images he took of his playmates during the last Paris Photo.
Thank you Christophe!
Jean-Jacques Naudet
My Paris Photo diary 2023
My father Harry H. Lunn preferred to be referred to as a “dealer” rather than a « collector ». He did not purchase photographs for himself but sought out the best material to offer his clients. Fueled by his passion and his curiosity, he unearthed treasures, which he knew how to display and could elaborate on intelligently at length.
Hanging an art booth with your second best doesn’t fly at the biggest photography fair in the world. The quality of an art dealer is not only in their eye or the size of their bank credit, it is the ability to convey to others the importance of what they are looking at, and what they are eventually acquiring, with brilliance, and tact.
Booth presentation counts. Availability counts (what’s with all the phone-staring when you should be engaging with potentials?). Eating or chewing gum on the booth? Big no no. I know fairs are long hours but nobody’s going to ask you a question if you have your mouth full.
Being a dealer and running a gallery is a tough business. Participating in arduous fairs, with long hours and ticket lines, enduring the crowd, and hoping the clients make it to your booth can be draining. But it is the event of the year many photography dealers rely on to fill their coffers until spring.
So I will raise my glass to all the dealers at Paris Photo 2023 who did the job this year, from the Carousel du Louvre veterans, who helped launch the fair, to the first-timers at the Ephemeral Palace.
Among them, here is a selection of portraits:
1.) Michel Hoppen, London. A participant since the fair’s debut, Hoppen’s communicative style and cutting-edge selection never disappoint.
1.) Hans Kraus Jr., New York. A reference in the presentation of 19th-century material, Kraus has been innovating by juxtaposing historic prints with contemporary artists like Adam Fuss or Hanako Murakami (pictured beneath Anna Atkins), who experiment with ancient techniques.
3.) Howard Greenberg, New York. Now also renowned as a collector, Howard and his team are one of the driving forces behind the photography art market today.
4.) Tim Jeffries, Hamiltons, London. Excellence and style define Hamiltons’ booth each year, showcasing some of the slickest names in photography, like Richard Avedon, Hiro, Irving Penn (pictured), or Helmut Newton.
5.) Alex Novak, Vintage Works, Philadelphia. Novak partnered again with Parisian gallerists Alain and Francoise Paviot this year, combining their knowledge and talent to present an overview of the medium.
6.) Didier Brousse, Camera Obscura, Paris. Versed in the art of printing, Brousse selects artists who excel in the process, paying great attention to the presentation of their work, like Michael Ackerman (pictured) or Sarah Moon.
7.) Philippe Jacquier, Lumière des Roses, Montreuil. A hunter/gatherer of 19th-century anonymous photographs, Jacquier dazzles us each year with his findings, bringing them to light in his cabinet of curiosities, like this salt paper print of Carjat’s famous Baudelaire portrait.
8.) Robert Mann, New York. Mann has evolved with the market, adding contemporary artists, like Julie Blackmon, or Orly Cogan (pictured), to his roster of works by modern photography masters.
9.) Julian Sander, Cologne. Sander’s thoughtful selection and presentation of work from his family trove, combined with his innovative venture in the NFT marketplace, make him one of the most pioneering and successful dealers of his generation.
10.) Sayaka Takahashi, PGI Gallery, Tokyo. Although they have exhibited at AIPAD for several years, this was PGI’s first participation at Paris Photo. We wish them much success.
11.) UP Gallery, Taiwan. Also new this year, UP Gallery presented work by Chen Ronghui in the Curiosa Section. Their artistic director Agnes (Tzu-ning) Liao (right) was assisted by Fanny Giniès.
12.) L. Parker Stephenson, New York. Stephenson was back in Paris, championing Ray Mortenson’s profound series on South Bronx, one of the many interesting talents in her lineup.
13.) Yossi Milo, New York. Milo is always presenting work on the cutting edge between photography and contemporary art. I caught him chatting with Christophe Wiesner (Rencontres Internationales d’Arles).
14.) Martijn van Pieterson, Ibasho, Antwerp. Van Pieterson presented the work of courageous French artist Chloé Jafé, who embedded a group of female yakuza to create revealing portraits.
15.) Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco. Fraenkel’s stand impressed again with a prestigious selection of master prints and grand creations. Team member Ken Clanton stopped by the Discovery Fair next door and scooped up this vintage Watkins.
16.) Thomas Zander, Cologne & Paris. Zander’s recent opening of a Paris space and clinching of Robert Frank’s representation were this season’s big news in the photography art world. Bravo Thomas, and “bienvenue.”
Christophe Lunn
