“As I
can’t think of a suitable excuse for not writing to you sooner, let’s just say
‘better late than never’, and move on from there.” – Hunter S. Thompson
I realize
it has been eight months since my last blog entry, and I am severely
overdue. I originally started this blog with the intention of making a
post every week, a goal in which I have failed miserably. So, without
further ado, let’s back to it, shall we?
In
March of 2012, Joel-Peter Witkin contacted me about the possibility of joining
him in Paris, France for a week in order to film him at some major events in
his life. Witkin was getting ready to debut his latest volume of work at
Baudoin Lebon’s gallery. Along with the new gallery showing, there was
also a retrospective exhibition at the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF),
where his new book, “Heaven or Hell”, was to be released. Add to that, he was
scheduled for a book signing at “Art Paris Art Fair”. This would be a
great opportunity for my crew (Ernesto Galan and Nickolas
Rossi) and I to capture some amazing footage for the “Joel-Peter
Witkin: An Objective Eye” documentary… How could I say no?
What
can I say about Paris that hasn’t already been written by so many great writers
before me? Truth be told, Paris left me speechless. I had always
hoped that one day I would be fortunate enough to make a trip to Paris, and now
after all this time, I still can’t believe it happened. I simply fell in
love with the place and I can’t wait to get back there.
First thing on the agenda after we arrived in Paris was the opening of the exhibition at the BnF. This was quite an event, as there were 45 engravings from the Renaissance to the twentieth century displayed in counterpoint to 85 of Witkin’s photographs. It was truly magical to see the works of Witkin paired up with such master printmakers as Dürer, Goya, Ensor, Picasso, Rops and many others. Aside from seeing Witkin’s work in a book or in his studio, this was the first time I had ever seen his photographs in this kind of proper setting, and to see the original prints up close, it had a profound effect on me. Another thing that I found interesting about that night was the number of people who were in attendance. The rough estimation was somewhere between 2,000 to 3,000 people, with a line stretching down the block and around the corner. It was only then that I began to understand how much the French embrace the works of Witkin.
Joel
had been present throughout the whole exhibition, stopping and talking to many
of the guest, discussing his technique, and answering questions.
Afterwards he was set up at a table and began to sign books for the eager crowd
who had been waiting in line, a line that was rapidly growing. But Witkin
handled it with grace and spent a good deal of time with each guest, as he
signed their books, and exchanged small conversations. The line came to
an end, and it was time to call it a night. I went to bed that night with
a sense of disbelief, as the first full day of filming in Pairs, went off
without a hitch. As I suffered with jetlag, I began to wonder if it was
real.
The
week had only just begun, and the crew and I were scheduled to wake up early
the next morning to spend the day at the Baudoin Lebon Gallery, in preparation
for the premiere of Witkin’s latest works later that evening.
Stay
Tuned for Paris Trip Day 2
Amazing! Thank you for sharing!
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