JR at Maison Europeenne de la Photographie (MEP). Paris, France.
In November, I was fortunate enough to be in Paris when artist JR did a “takeover” of the city, installing his large scale photographs in various metro stations across the city. The campaign was to promote the artist’s first major show in Paris aptly named “MOMENTUM”.
While I was unable to go to the exhibit, the MEP smartly put some of his work on the exterior of their building as well. MOMENTUM included some of JR’s early photographs and showcased several new installations. JR’s work is politically charged and often controversial, but that’s why I enjoy it. He has a point of view and is unafraid to double down on it. The past few years, he has focused his work on immigration and victims of wars and conflicts. The most talked about piece inside the exhibit was his recent mural about guns in America that landed on the cover of TIME’s November 5th cover. For the mural, JR filmed and photographed 245 people from across the gun debate spectrum: hunters, activists, teachers, parents, police officers, and children.
This particular photo here used on the exterior of MEP is from his series: Portrait of a Generation, an illegal pasting exhibition of portraits all captured with a 28 mm lens.
