once again to get out there and shoot where your heart, not your business plan, dictates. Perhaps predictably, the headline exhibit deconstruct- ing Love on the Left Bank – the classic Ed van der Elsken narrative photobook from the ‘50s – had my attention for a fair part of the afternoon. Less well publicised was One Giant Leap from Daniel Blau Gallery, a collection of NASA images and photomontages from 1965 to 1981 including scientific imagery.
These two exhibitions really underlined the strongest ways to make a mark – discovery and storytelling. If you’ve ever had an idea for a story, the image is your medium. Use it. So many young photographers are dis- tracted by video recording that there’s a danger the still image will be overlooked along with the ability to own it, totally. Really good video takes a team; really good photography can be entirely your own, if you wish. Some truisms remain. Shoot on analogue, ideally large for- mat, and you will retain greater credibility in the art world, though it’s increasingly less important.
A small exhibition from one of the galleries, Polaroid is Dead, amused me, both for the simplicity of the subjects,and the basic error in the state- ment. Had my parcel from The Impossible Project (revivers of Polaroid-type instant materials compatible with vintage cam- eras) arrived in time, we would have documented parts of the exhibition with the eponymous instant system; instead I was
MASTER PHOTOGRAPHY 12
in a distinct minority with my Leica M9 – most visitors snap- ping works of interest on their cellphones.
As visitors and unfamiliar with the exhibition, we missed talks and seminars that took place earlier, and failed to buy the Mutations book that accom- panied one keynote presenta- tion.
Above: Paris offers plenty of photo opportunities when visiting, night and day. Below: a collection of video and multimedia works by Clifton Childry, presented in wooden boxes. Video is art too! Photographs © Richard Kilpatrick.
Over 50,000 visitors attend- ed, a 30% increase on 2010’s attendance and a stunning validation of the importance of the photographic art market. Helping with the mass con- sumption, 2011’s focus on books included the “Prix du Livre Paris Photo” – selected from 60 titles released during Paris Photo’s existence, the prize was given to Paul Graham for his book Shim- mer of Possibility. 2012’s exhibition will take place once again at Grand Palais, 17th to 20th November. If you have work you would like to see featured, discuss repre- sentation with your gallery. And if you don’t have a gallery representing your work, think hard about it. There’s big money in fine art and this exhibition proved it.
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