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Born in 1950, Bernard Faucon created his photographic oeuvre between 1976 and 1995. It is one of the most original and important bodies of work of the late 20th century. Often exhibited, reproduced, borrowed, and collected, Faucon’s work, paradoxically, remains little known, and its place in contemporary creation is still ill defined. This is due as much to its singularity, it is a poetic, metaphysical, highly personal body of work, as to the diverse group inspired by it, from the most classic and orthodox in the photographic world to avant-garde artists, as well as novelist, directors, psychoanalysts, Japanese fashion designers.
Over the past 25 years, Bernard Faucon has shown in nearly 250 solo exhibitions and as many group shows, from Leo Castelli in New York City to Yvon Lambert in Paris, in large museums as well as small institutions, because Bernard Faucon says "yes" more easily than "no". It seems important today, ten years after the voluntary interruption of his work, to present it in its entirety, to reveal the rigor and logic behind the surprising innovation of his metamorphoses. His themes and obsessions evolve with an economy of means that increases up until the last series, entitled La fin de l’image (The end of the image): an intentional and decisive closure from which Bernard Faucon has not returned
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July 16th, 2008 at 22:23
Some of these are fantastic pictures, some are average, but really, this is a nice artwork, thanks Josh ^^
July 16th, 2008 at 22:40
A huge amount of pictures is available in the author website http://www.bernardfaucon.net/photos/index.htm
July 17th, 2008 at 01:16
Thanks Josh for this generous tribute about one of the greatest photographer of our time. Not agree with mat : no photography is “average” in Bernard Faucon’s work :-) ! Just look at a book on his work or, better, see an exhibition… It’s a marvellous and touching experience.
NB : Faucon’s life is also interesting ; few people knows he was the second man evocated in the Herve Guibert’s book : “Voyage avec deux enfants” (Journey with two children), for example.
July 17th, 2008 at 03:30
These are all absolutely fascinating! I really like his manipualtion of lighting in his images.
July 17th, 2008 at 04:27
I love every work of Bernard Faucon’s. He is a true poet, and a lover of boys’ beauty in every aspect of it. Thank you for all that beauty! Claude
July 17th, 2008 at 08:44
Josh: tell us the story. Why “the voluntary interruption of his work … an intentional and decisive closure from which Bernard Faucon has not returned”?
Oliver: tell us about “Voyage avec deux enfants” and Faucon’s place in it.
July 17th, 2008 at 10:35
Rimmer : all the answers about your questions (to Josh or me) can be found in a beautiful and great french artbook dedicated to Bernard Faucon’s work. The title is simply “Bernard Faucon”, the publisher is “Actes Sud”- 2005 (ISBN : 9782742756674). Hundred of large scale pics perfectly printed : a pure wonder ! I hope there is an english version.
To be short : Bernard Faucon decided to put an end to his work as an artist-photographer because he thought he had express everything he could and didn’t want to repeat himself or do something which is not perfect according to his eyes. A little bit like Arthur Rimbaud, but in fact Bernard Faucon goes on making photographies nowadays but in a different way (see his website).
About “Voyage avec deux enfants”, clues are given by Hervé Guibert himself in some notes of the artbook published by Actes Sud. “Voyage avec deux enfants”, written in the 80s, describes in sensual and litterary words the journey in North Africa of to mens (rather young - in fact : Guibert and Faucon) and two boys (not relatives). A strange and fascinating book, published in France by “Les éditions de Minuit”.
July 17th, 2008 at 20:56
I’ve often wondered if some of those photographs aren’t cropped at the bottom to eliminate the genitals…
July 18th, 2008 at 00:54
No, the pants are just sitting very low as you can see in the “making of” from his home page:
http://www.bernardfaucon.net/photos/index.htm