Marc Simon - Balavoine






Over 35 years' experience; former gallery owner and Museum Folkwang curator.
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Description from the seller
Marc Simon
Daniel Balavoine, around 1983-1985
Period-era silver print.
This photograph of Daniel Balavoine illustrates Marc Simon's direct, unadorned gaze, the photographer and future head of the photo department at VSD magazine. Far from elaborate staging, Simon favors proximity to his subject, revealing the singer's personality.
At that time, Daniel Balavoine was at the peak of his career. Songwriter and committed composer, he left a mark on French chanson with titles that have become emblematic such as Le Chanteur, Mon fils, ma bataille, L'Aziza, or Tous les cris les SOS. His personality, blending sensitivity, energy, and commitment, shines through in this portrait, where the intensity of the gaze answers the sobriety of the composition.
Beyond its documentary interest, this photograph bears witness to the aesthetics of 1980s photojournalism. It recalls the essential role played by illustrated magazines, notably VSD, in disseminating a humanist and narrative photography, capable of capturing the leading figures of their era with authenticity.
This print is a historical document as much as a photographic work, preserving the memory of an artist whose influence on French music remains considerable.
Seller's Story
Marc Simon
Daniel Balavoine, around 1983-1985
Period-era silver print.
This photograph of Daniel Balavoine illustrates Marc Simon's direct, unadorned gaze, the photographer and future head of the photo department at VSD magazine. Far from elaborate staging, Simon favors proximity to his subject, revealing the singer's personality.
At that time, Daniel Balavoine was at the peak of his career. Songwriter and committed composer, he left a mark on French chanson with titles that have become emblematic such as Le Chanteur, Mon fils, ma bataille, L'Aziza, or Tous les cris les SOS. His personality, blending sensitivity, energy, and commitment, shines through in this portrait, where the intensity of the gaze answers the sobriety of the composition.
Beyond its documentary interest, this photograph bears witness to the aesthetics of 1980s photojournalism. It recalls the essential role played by illustrated magazines, notably VSD, in disseminating a humanist and narrative photography, capable of capturing the leading figures of their era with authenticity.
This print is a historical document as much as a photographic work, preserving the memory of an artist whose influence on French music remains considerable.
