JEAN-FRANÇOIS RAUZIER, Petit Palais, 2019
This week we are delighted to feature a wonderful creation by Jean-François Rauzier, one of the gallery's most prolific artists. Continuing his famous Museums series, this time Rauzier presents his unique vision of one of the most important fine art museums in Paris.
Designed for the 1900 Exposition Universelle by architect Charles Girault, today Petit Palais (Small Palace) houses the City of Paris Museum of Fine Arts. The building is famous for its luscious décor. Though the structure was built in three years, it took over twenty years to complete the painting and sculptures that adorn interior and exterior of Petit Palais. In his work, Rauzier puts an emphasis on this intricate symbiosis between the architectural decorations of this building and the artworks that are exhibited inside its walls.
This hyperphoto is a part of our current exhibition of contemporary photography Tales from the Lens. The exhibition brings together both new and traditional means of image-making, highlighting where craft and concept come together to create new vantage points. Featuring works from 9 prominent photographers, our virtual exhibition introduces the viewers to vibrant, new visions in contemporary photography. Learn more
In 2002, when Jean-François Rauzier created his first 'Hyperphoto', he was already an established photographer and had been searching for a new creative method that would differ considerably from the traditional model. With his 'Hyperphotos' he strove to capture "the panorama and the macro view all at once, to stop time and to have the possibility of viewing all the details of a static image".
Rauzier's work transforms reality; it fascinates us with its scale and takes the viewer on a journey through the visible world. Rauzier uses thousands of high-resolution close-ups views and stitches them into his large compositions, maintaining the focus and sharpness of the smallest detail. He carefully composes each of his works from elements and images he has collected over many years, working in some ways more like a painter than a photographer, creating his own supernatural man-made world. Using digital technology, he cuts, moves and constructs buildings, gardens, animals, and many other objects which he has carefully collected during long photographic sessions to inspire a new fantastic landscape, a capricious picture, or a baroque masterpiece. He strives to transform the world according to his dreams, wishes and anxieties, and to recreate the magic and secrecy of ancient legends and stories using 21st-century media. Of course, none of his mastery of technology would be worthy unless it was combined with a true artistic vision. Rauzier also possesses a deep knowledge of literature, art history, and history, and utilizes all these with his unique wit and humor.
JEAN-FRANÇOIS RAUZIER (French, b. 1952)