The American photographer Walker Evans (1903-1975) is a major figure in American documentary photography. His photos have become modern icons: one needs only to recall his photographs of the Great Depression and of his contribution to the Farm Security Administration programme. His work has influenced several generations of photographers.

In 1935, the Museum of Modern Art in New York organised an exhibition of African sculptures. Walker Evans, aged 32, was commissioned to compile a photographic portfolio that reproduced a selection of the 477 statuettes and masks in the exhibition. The musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac owns one of the 17 portfolios, (each comprising 4 volumes). The musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac's portfolio is one of the few remaining complete sets and the only one in Europe that is ‘fully mounted’. This was also the first time African sculptures were exhibited as works of art rather than as objects of ethnographic interest.

The photographs by Walker Evans are signed by him: the same sculpture could be photographed from several angles and the arrangement of the prints reflects his very personal style.

The catalogue shows a selection of 30 photographs by Walker Evans, reproduced in real size. They are accompanied by a text by Virginia-Lee Webb about the present work by Walker Evans and by a preface by Yves Le Fur, who commissioned the exhibition.

This work has been published as part of the Photoquai 2007 Biennial

DESCRIPTION

64 pages • 24 x 34 cm • 8 €
Co-published by musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac / Nicolas Chaudun 2007
ISBN: 9782915133653