Fondation Henri-Cartier Bresson
The Fondation Henri-Cartier Bresson is located in a small impasse in Paris near the Gare de Montparnasse. Following my visit there yesterday I've added it to my list of favorite museums in Paris that include the Rodin and Maillol museums and the Musée de la vie romantique. These museums all share one thing in common: they are small and personal. They afford you the physical space and quiet needed to really spend time with an œuvre d'art. The FHCB is like these other museums except for its modern accents. The art deco roof as the director pointed out to me is all glass and luminous.
Each year the foundation holds a competition and names a laureate. This year's winner Fazal Sheikh is also a MacArthur fellow. The foundation presents (until 26 August 2007) two series of Shaikh's work "Moksha" and "Ladli."
Moksha portrays widows in modern day Vrindavan and bears testimonies to their lives. The photographs are accompanied by text that presents these women's stories. Sheikh's touch is both light and tender at the same time. The photos are intimist, a little like being inside one of Bonnard's domestic scenes (minus the color). They suspend time. Lingering over the image of one old lady after another one senses the weight and thickness of their lives, the passing of time that marks their faces. It is this aspect of Sheikh's photography and engagement that reveals the touch of a master.
© Fazal Sheikh from Moksha
The subject of Sheikh's series Ladli is no easier, bearing witness as it does to the status of the girl child. In this series, exhibited in another hall, Sheikh's narrative texts take on a different distance. He plumbs into the causes and deep-rooted sociological and psychological reasons that contribute to the suffering of these children. The stories are always hard but Sheikh's photographs allow us to see these young girls and women without the infliction of a third person.
Fazal Sheikh's works will be on display at the Pace McGill Gallery from October 18 -November 24, 2007
Labels: Fazal Sheikh, Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson, Ladli, Moksha
posted by abha @ 10:35 AM
4 Comments:
I first became familiar with the name Henri-Cartier Bresson in 1983. My husband, who is a devotee of Ramana Maharishi, told me of the interesting and memorable connection between the Maharishi and this remarkable photojournalist. He captured the last moments of the Maharishi's life and also recorded the trail of light that streaked across the sky at the moment of the sage's death or the moment when he entered samadhi. Inspite of our great joy in this unique connection between these two individuals we failed to visit the museum during both our long stays in Paris. Pointless regret. Good to know about it through you. Thanks.
My paternal grandmother who was a widow from the time before Partition, spent the last few years of her life in Vrindavan. She was among the few fortunate ones who actively chose to do this as she wanted to be close to her Krishna and his raas leelas. She had a room of her own and voluntarily renounced a life with the family for several months each year. As children when we visited Vrindavan once or twice we were hardly aware of the tragic lives of the widows there. We imagined that all of them were there for a sense of community and because they loved Lord Krishna.
I am reminded of Deepa Mehata's Water which I am sure you have seen.
Sarala (Chuhiya), as the child widow here, has given a commendable performance. Your heart bleeds for her, supports her fiery rebellion and breaks when her childhood is snatched from her, then polluted and destroyed.
Thank you for sharing Fazal Sheikh's work.
priti a
I liked Moksha picture very much! You have a nice blog:-)
happy to know there's such a place in Paris. I'm also a fan of small museums and image and Henri-Cartier Bresson. It's now going on in Évora (portuguese town) an exhibition of his work (portrait)from 1931-1999 called "inner silence". Nice reason to travel inside country...as bonus i get to visit Évora (hystorical city)again and burn under the usual 40ºC at this time of the year.
My comment has nothing to do with your post ... i just read your book "babyji" and found it delightful .. thank you! :)
PS - i wrote a few lines in my blog, hope you don't mind ... :)
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