Now–May 24
Lehigh University Art Gallery's exhibit, Paris After the War, showcases the work of one of France's greatest twentieth-century photographers, Robert Doisneau. Born in 1922, Doisneau started taking pictures at the young age of 16. He experienced a life full of joy and love, but also tragedy as World War II threw his home country into a state of disarray. Drafted into the resistance as a soldier and photographer, Doisneau captured the occupation and liberation of Paris. Still, throughout it all, Doisneau maintained a sense of humor and the absurd lodged in everyday life. He referred to himself as a fisherman, waiting patiently to discover a moment that crystallizes something about humanity.
“Doisneau has an incredible appreciation for the human predicament. He sees its absurdity, passion, exhaustion and joy, all through the lens of empathy,” says Mark Wonsidler, curator of exhibitions at LUAG. “The work is essentially optimistic, but not in a way that disregards the messiness of life. The photographs in this exhibition show Paris after World War II. In light of that, their charm, which could easily be dismissed as sentimentality, takes on a surprising power.”
An early pioneer of photojournalism and candid street photography, Doisneau created an archive of 450,000 original negatives by the time of his death. For this exhibition, LUAG presents a limited-edition portfolio that was published by Hyperion Press Limited in 1979. There are 14 photographs in the exhibition, as it was chosen to complement the adjacent exhibition by Elisabeth Frink, another artist affected by the Second World War, but they're powerful. While Doisneau passed in 1994, his work continues to be revered and celebrated for its authenticity and fascinating look at the romance of the city in the post-war era.
Lehigh University Art Gallery | 420 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem | 610.758.3615 | luag.org
