Monday, December 6, 2010

Paris Photo, Photo Madness, Photo Magic!


Entering Paris Photo at the Carousel du Louvre you first encounter the world of Photobooks as you meet Markus Schaden and team with their hot-off-the-press new book offerings. And in my view that's how it should be, Photobooks first with the work on the gallery walls an added bonus.

Paris Photo this year as packed and frantic as ever. Very hard to focus on work when you keep seeing friends and colleagues not seen since last year. Perhaps as a counter to the photo madness it's the quiet thoughtful works I gravitate to, Kertesz of course and at Max Estrella Gallery Madrid, pictures from Duane Michals from his René Magritte series. At Cologne Galerie Priska Pasquer sublime Japanese work including Rinko Kawauchi. Paris gallery Les filles du calvaire with an impressive image from Paul Graham from his End of an Age series 1996-1998, this work in an edition of three, all sold at Euro 24,000 a piece. Nice.

Then there were the book signings, including Tina Barney, Gerry Badger, JH Engstrom, Anders Petersen, John Gossage, Susan Meiselas, Martin Parr, Todd Hido, Bruce Davidson and more....

This years focus at Paris Photo was on Eastern Europe. It was particularly pleasing to see friends from Poland at their gallery space with a no-compromise display of contemporary work.

Paris Photo 2011 will look at African photography: from Bamako to Cape Town. Put it in your diary, 17th to 20th November 2011. Six platforms will be created to spotlight the diversity of both historical and contemporary creativity in sub-Saharan Africa.

The photograph: Markus Schaden and team, Paris Photo 2010

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