PAOLO ROVERSI : PALAIS GALLIERA
Sasha, Yohji Yamamoto, Paris, 1985
The beauty and singularity of Paolo Roversi’s images show us the captivating world of fashion like never before.
Written by : Max Wiener
Palais Galliera, musée de la Modede Paris
3/16/2024- 7/14/2024
Opening times Tuesday to Sunday 10:00am to 6:00pm
Late opening Thursdays until 9:00pm.
Closed on Mondays.
An excellent fashion photograph can bring out an outfit's allure like never before.The camera metaphorically clothes us in the fabrics and beauty of the image, transporting us to a different world (and outfit). The hues and cuts come to life right before our eyes, and we are immediately drawn in, craving more to open our sensors to the maximum potential.
Paolo Roversi, acclaimed in a rare, mythic way, masters these principles. At the Palais Galliera, we see how monumental his impact is on photography. His work is immediately recognizable, and in the 50-year span of photographs exhibited, we understand why. Few artists have such an impact on their medium and change the very landscape in which they work.The series, aptly titled Paolo Roversi, opened on March 16th and has a scheduled closing date of July 14th.
Lida et Alexandra, Alberta Ferretti, Paris, 1998
Roversi's approach to photography is as distilled as it comes, offering a simplistic side to the often misconstrued complexity of the medium. Known to use Polaroid cameras and even a Mag-Lite flashlight to create color depth, Roversi shows us that even large-scale fashion shots can be done with a mundane approach. However, his skillset was quite the opposite, and in each of the images, we understand his true nature as a master photographer. He makes the image a focal point, not just the clothing or the subjects themselves. We are given a serving plate of decadent beauty to feast our eyes on, and with each darting glance around the image, we find more to be enamored with.
Many of his subjects do not look directly into the camera themselves, peering out into the distance of their world yet commanding our attention. The same is true of his purposefully blurred images, which take what would traditionally be perceived as wrong and make fine art out of it. No matter the "flaw," Roversi's oeuvre forces us to direct our entire selves to the image. We want to lock eyes or brush away the blur at first, but then we grow to see its importance to the image.
Molly, Chanel, Vogue Italia, Paris, 2015
Paolo Roversi has always experimented with color throughout his career, and his images here show us that his mad scientist endeavors were more than successful. Each hue tells its own story, blending seamlessly with one another and singing in harmony with the other colors. Color is not a novel idea in photography, but Roversi approaches it keenly, showing us only what he deems necessary. Nothing is a kaleidoscope, but the direct choice to highlight specific colors most certainly adds to the story of each image. Even in his black-and-white photos, he still shows tremendous personality. It all adds to the wonderful display of brilliance we get from Roversi.
more here: Palais Galliera
