1827-2027: Bicentennial of Photography with our Painter Friends
Photography was officially born in 1827 when Nicéphore Niépce created the first permanent photograph, which still exists today. Impressionism emerged in 1874 when Monet, Renoir, and Degas organized their first group exhibition. Between 1890 and 1914, Pictorialism brought photography into the realm of fine art. For about half a century, painters and photographers formed a single artistic community, and the first photography exhibitions were organized by painters. 200 years later, the time for symbiosis has come! Photographers, let us pay tribute to painters on the occasion of our bicentennial.
This project was conceived by Jean-Pol Stercq and myself. Jean-Pol was the photographer of the art world for several decades in France and Belgium. His archives are brimming with talent, including many painters I admire and who inspire my daily photographic creations. With Jean-Pol’s permission, I wanted to bring together these two related pictorial arts. I created a portrait for each artist, with a dual identity, both physical and artistic. A true collaborative effort, each photograph is credited with the copyrights of Jean-Pol Stercq and Jérôme Perez.
We would be delighted to share our approach in a meeting place focused on photography or, more broadly, on culture. We don’t turn 200 every day!
Project available at jeromeperez.com
