Signed; Raymond Depardon - Manhattan Out - 2008

Exceptionally dedicated and signed copy on the front matter by Raymond Depardon (born in 1942), unique and unobtainable on the internet in a signed copy, rarissime and almost unavailable in an unsigned copy. 120 pages and 95 full-page photographs, French text by Paul Virilio. Publisher's cloth binding and titled, (no dustjacket as issued). In excellent condition, practically like new.

The photographs that Raymond Depardon took in New York, during the winter of 1980, are quite surprising and seem an anomaly in his work. The compositions are of unusual chaos, the focus somewhat random, the light unpredictable. These photographs mark a pivotal moment in Raymond Depardon’s oeuvre, and the Magnum Photos site helps us understand them better. ( https://www.magnumphotos.com/theory-and-practice/manhattan-out-raymond-depardon-new-york-creativity/

Previously, Depardon had spent the preceding months in a psychiatric hospital near Trieste, Italy. “I felt the need to exorcise certain traumas related to confinement, with the help of a group of Italian psychiatrists who were revolutionizing the world of psychiatric institutions with their innovative program near Trieste. My stay in the psychiatric hospital off Venice lasted a little too long. … I acquired a precious know-how in the art of photographing others without disturbing them.”

Depardon had come to New York to resolve “issues of personal confinement” that he attributed to his two years spent in Chad covering the civil war and the kidnapping of French archaeologist Françoise Claustre, a job that earned him the Pulitzer Prize. He spoke little English, was frightened by the strangeness of Americans, and was alone – except for a friend who worked long hours throughout the day. He spent his days photographing with his eyes closed, “I did my best to blend into the crowd. I walked quickly; I knew the city like the back of my hand. I brushed past people in the street without even noticing them. I had decided, in principle, never to raise the camera to my face, letting it hang around my chest.”

As they are, these photographs give us a very realistic view of a society deprived of all conviviality: “Women seemed to always frown. Smiles were rare during lunch breaks and nonexistent before and after office hours. No one takes the time to speak to their neighbor.”

“I spoke to no one about my photos. It took me a few months to finally dare to have them developed… I hated them when I finally saw them. The composition was bad.” Yet the work that had repulsed him at first contributed to getting him back to work: “I was healed, I no longer feared photographing.”

Book from my personal collection, in excellent condition, practically like new, kept with the utmost care. Very effectively protected shipping and guaranteed international tracked postal service. For multiple purchases, possibility of group shipping with reimbursement of excess postage paid via PayPal.

0.7 kg. ex-handleable packaging