In part of this second season of French Protocol, the FIAF Gallery (French Institute : Alliance Française) presents until June 4, a solo show by French photographer Patrick Swirc. François Hébel introduces the Disobedient.
Disobedient.
The troubled and touching turmoil that overflows from Patrick Swirc is undoubtedly what allows him to take portraits differently, particularly when his subjects are personalities who are accustomed to working with the most refined photographers.
In the short period of time portraitists are generally allowed, he is able to expose actors, directors, and writers to his melancholy in order to bring their own to light. This is achieved by wrenching away their preconceived, media-crafted images, so that they can play themselves better.
Patrick Swirc doesn’t concern himself with perfection; he delights in accidents, and his humor is delicate. His photographs are extremely pared down, without signifying scenery or props, and are often shot in black and white to reduce the quantity of information even further.
His subjects agree to play the intense game that he invents for them. He gets each face to surpass its notoriety to become an evocation, a journey, a non-homogenized moment. He brings out a profound humanity in each individual, a weight that paradoxically lifts them even higher onto their pedestals.
Consequently, these magnificent portraits express the photographer’s sincere respect for these celebrities, whom he does not consider as products, but rather as out-of-the-ordinary artists.
Since he claims to be disobedient, and has an unguarded sincerity, Patrick Swirc commands respect and trust for his own work. From now on, his photographs, created for the press, make up a singular oeuvre.
The selection of photographs that constitute his first exhibit in the United States features both American and French personalities. This original dramatization of his portraits is part of this second season of French Protocol in the FIAF Gallery.
EXHBITION
Le French protocol
Patrick Swirc
From April 14th to June 4th, 2016
fi:af
French Institute : Alliance Française
22 E 60th Street
New York NY 10022
United States
http://www.swirc.com
http://www.fiaf.org
