Nostalgic Moment /// my art-prints for Lucien Clergue

16th of july 2008

On the myspace profile of one of my friends, I just found a black and white photo of gypsies featuring a proud little black-haired girl dancing in the middle of a group of musicians.

© photograph by Lucien Clergue

It evoked some memories to me.

First of all of my studies in Arles, in the south of France, where a community of gypsies live and where others pass by on their pilgrimage for their annual procession to the black virgin in Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, on one of the edges of the delta of french river Le Rhône spreading into the mediterranean sea (you all heard and probably tasted the wine “Côtes du Rhône”, which is from the valley of the same river much further up-stream).

Secondly, it reminded me of the times working for this photographer. When I was a photo-student in Arles (1996-1999), I used to print for photographer Lucien Clergue, also co-founder in 1969 of the photo-festival: Les Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie. Among many of his nudes, I printed many portraits from his vintage negatives of Pablo Picasso and Jean Cocteau. What a responsability I felt, having these original negatives in my hands in the darkroom! It was fascinating and tought me a great deal about making portraits of artists, like I also now do.

Jean-Marie Babonneau
photographer + video director
www.betterworldinc.org

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Here under some of the many pictures I printed from Lucien Clergue’s archival negatives (not the actual prints I made, as these web-copies are usually of very poor image resolution and quality)

© photographs by Lucien Clergue
Pablo Picasso, spanish master painter

Jean Cocteau, french poet, dramaturge & film director

Arlequins/troubadours (inspired by the ones painted by Picasso)

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Here, one of my own portraits of Lucien Clergue in his atelier in Arles (2001)

photograph by Jean-Marie Babonneau © 2001-2009