calendario eventi  :: 

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14/3/2012

Four exhibitions

Polka Galerie, Paris

Elliott Erwitt
Sequentially Yours

«To be Elliott you need to have (1) an exquisite instinct, not only of the moment, but what might happen in the very next moment, (2) a sympathetic but clear-eyed view of the world as an endless series of mini-comedies and dramas [...] You also need to have been born in Paris of émigré Russian-Jewish parents, rushed our of Italy to avoid Mussolini, raised in California, speak at least four languages, and be self-effacing to the point of transparency. [...] In Sequentially Yours, Elliott has created a new form, somewhere between single exposures and film. We film directors need thousands of images - 24 of them each second, in fact – to tell our stories. Elliott has reduced that to, mostly, two or three.»

Marshall Brickman (faithful screenwriter of Woody Allen) in Sequentially Yours, Elliott Erwitt ed.Te Neues, 2011

With Elliott Erwitt, the gravity of a moment is replaced by lightless, laughter renders emotion a mere accessory. Through the sequences shown in the exhibition, Polka Galerie invites the visitor to discover another side of Erwitt, even funnier. Known photographs, loved all over the globe, take on a new meaning as they are framed by unexpected « before » and « after » shots.

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Catherine Balet
Strangers in the Light

"The digital age has been an inexhaustible source of influence and information. Through my photographs, I only wish to question how quickly the technological age has dramatically accelerated time."

In her series entitled “Strangers in the Light”, Catherine Balet, who trained as a painter, confronts two seemingly paradoxical modern realities: hyper-communication and the profound solitude in which we can find ourselves in our daily lives. Past and present, represented by the use of light sources as diverse as candles and digital tablets, mingle in these pictures inspired by the works of great painters like David, La Tour, Constable and Manet. Each composition is essentially lit by the glow emanating from new technologies, a kind of chiaroscuro of the digital age. «Resemblance with classical painting was very important at the beginning of the series, explains Catherine Balet. It was an inspiration, not a parody. Over time, the subject took over. My desire was to reflect on all the areas where technology has some influence.»

The figures in Catherine Balet’s photographs are members of a connected generation, addicted to smartphones. They pose and photograph themselves in mirrors in order to exist on social networks. All in the same room, they do not look at each other, too absorbed by their own reflection. «My models are reliant on the digital prosthesis. They contemplate their life through a screen, hypnotized by another place.» The paroxysm is reached in the Nativity scene: a newborn child is photographed from every angle before appearing on the Internet ...

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Sara Imloul
Le Cirque noir

«Black Circus» by Sara Imloul dives into a strange and dreamlike universe. This young photographer – she is 25 years old – began this series in 2008. She uses calotype, an old process. «This method requires me to contact print my images. Therefore the sizes of the prints match the sizes of the negatives. I then rework the details with a brush and various chemicals, as if I were retouching small paintings. Each is unique, the artist explains. I think in terms of negatives: I place white spots and areas of light on a black page. I approach forms and graphic patterns as white elements on a black background. It’s a game.»

This theatre of light and shadow is a replay of ancient reveries. Strongly influenced by photographs of the early twentieth century, fueled by the worlds created by Sarah Moon, Joel-Peter Witkin, Christian Boltanski or Miroslav Tichy, Sara Imloul broaches the subjects of memory, esotericism and shared imagination.

Fond of childhood, the young artist enjoys searching for vintage clothing and decors that will bring her small disconcerting scenes to life. She uses close friends as models and an old folding camera. Each image requires an exposure time of more than 45 seconds.

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Paulette Tavormina
Natura Morta

«Still lifes remind us that time passes, that life is precious. And they tell us so much about the history and life of a place and era.»

Paulette Tavormina, a New York photographer, who also works in advertising, has developed a profoundly artistic approach to culinary photography. Her impressive know-how is used internationally whether on films such as «The Perfect Storm» with George Clooney, «Intrusion» with Johnny Depp or «Nixon» with Anthony Hopkins, or for cookbooks produced in collaboration with renowned chefs.

Still life, «Natura Morta», has become her favorite subject. The great masters of the genre, the Flemish, Spanish and Italian seventeenth century painters inspire her to create poetic and attractive scenes. She studies her compositions with great care. She searches for the perfect fruit or antique porcelain and places each element meticulously, adjusting each flower, crab or butterfly.

Image: Sara Imloul, Without title #7 (2010) © Sara Imloul

Polka Galerie
12 rue Saint Gilles, Paris 3ème
Opening hours: Tue-Sat 11 am - 7.30 pm

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