French artist Didier Naert’s unique “photographic paintings” reflect his cinematic background and his love for vintage photography. As a set designer for films, Naert has worked on many major movie projects, including the 1963 romantic comedy “Irma la Douce”. He is also an avid collector of vintage photographs, which are the main inspiration for his work as an artist.
Every artwork Naert creates begins with the selection of some photographs from his collection. He sticks the images on black paperboard or prints them on aluminium, often creating a collage of several pictures. He then extends the pictures and connects different images by making line drawings around them, building an imaginary world and constructing interesting narratives. His white gouache line drawings on the black background evoke the feel of argentic photography, giving his compositions a dream-like quality. The artist’s hand-written notes and markings on the artworks add to their charm.
Naert’s first exhibition in Dubai, “Paris Vintage: Imaginary Extensions” features vintage photographs of Parisian streets and of “Les Halles de Paris” the city’s historic fresh food market. Some of the pictures were taken by anonymous photographers, while others are by leading professionals of the time, such as Alexandre Trauner.
Also included are pictures taken by Naert himself while doing his research for the shooting of “Irma la Douce”. Naert has given these pictures of a bygone era a new life with his detailed drawings that extend the images beyond the frame of the pictures. Through these artworks he takes viewers on a nostalgic trip to the Paris of the 1950s and 60s with many surprises along the way. The show is presented by Alliance Française Dubai and Antidote.
“The beauty of argentic photographs is that they last, unlike digital photographs that are intangible and tend to disappear almost immediately because nobody ever prints them. I have a huge collection of vintage photographic prints, which includes pictures I took and prints that I acquired at auctions and found at flea markets,” Naert says.
“While preparing for movie sets I always made notes, remarks and drawings on my scouting photographs. So this is a part of my creative process and comes naturally to me. As an artist, I look for photographs that stimulate my imagination and that I want to revive with my paintings around the initial subject. I have developed two techniques. In the first one, called ‘extension’ I stick the original photographs on black paperboard, and I often combine several photos like an imaginary puzzle. I then paint around the original photographs.
“The second technique is called ‘composition’. Here also I combine one or more photographs, but I print them on aluminium, which allows me to enlarge the original photograph. This enables me to create large-scale works that can give viewers the feeling of walking in a real street.”
Naert’s cinematographic artworks bring alive the hustle and bustle of “Les Halles de Paris” in the heart of the city. In some works he has extended the famous glass buildings and gigantic steel arches designed by Baltard, and in others he has added shelves laden with fresh fish and vegetables to photographs of the stalls located in the market’s labyrinthine alleys. Since this market was demolished in 1971, Naert’s artworks are a poignant reminder of an important part of the city’s history.
The artist’s depictions of various streets in Paris present his vision of postwar Paris, telling stories about this romantic city and its people. In some pieces he gives us a glimpse of what lies behind the doorways on the streets with his detailed drawings of the stairways leading up to the apartments, and of the interiors of those homes. In others he extends a scene from the city taking us around the corner to streets and buildings that maybe imaginary but appear to be accurate recreations of the old cityscape.
His interventions in some cases are as minimal as a few handwritten notes or markings; but in others he has constructed the entire neighbourhood around a tiny photograph of the façade of a house, or extended a photograph of a bar counter to show the entire bar and details of the décor as well as the view of the street outside. In some works he has woven together photographs of different areas taken at different times into an imaginary narrative.
“My work is not nostalgic or old-fashioned. It is simply about looking at the past in a positive way. Today cities are changing rapidly and it is easy to forget how they used to be. A city such as Paris is so full of memories, and through my work I want to encourage people to slow down and savour those memories,” the artist says.
“I am amazed by the pace of change in Dubai, and I am fascinated by its history. I would love to find vintage photographs of the city and come back with a show based on those pictures.”
“Paris Vintage: Imaginary Extensions” will be on display at Plantation, Sofitel Dubai Jumeirah Beach — The Walk, JBR, until July 31.
Summer art camp for all ages
The Farjam Foundation has organised a variety of arts-related programmes for all ages during the summer. The theme for this year is “Artzy Adventures” and young arts enthusiasts are invited to investigate and discover the lives of famous artists through discussions and hands-on projects that explore various genres. Activities include painting, sculpture, installation art, collage and performance art.
The camp is conducted by Dubai-based artist and art educator Yasmin Sinai. Assisting her is a group of students from the Oxford and Edinburgh universities. The camp will run until August 13.
The sessions for children aged seven to 14 years are held from Sunday to Thursday from 9am to 1pm, and cost Dh500 per week. Workshops for the whole family are held on Wednesdays from 1.30pm to 3.30pm, with children between the ages of four and six years allowed free entry.
For more information and registration contact marjan@farjamfoundation.org or call 04-3230303.
