The Best Photo Shows to See at Rencontres d’Arles
By Daisy Woodward
Martine Barrat at Espace Van Gogh
Simone Weil famously declared that attention is the “rarest and purest form of generosity”, a sentiment entirely befitting the work of French-American photographer and videographer Martine Barrat, showcased in an exhibition at the Espace Van Gogh. The 93-year-old artist – who, rather wonderfully, has resided at the Hotel Chelsea for more than 50 years – moved from Paris to New York in 1968 to work as a dancer. An accident scuppered her original plans, and instead she sought a creative outlet in film and photography, finding inspiration and collaboration within the city’s marginalised neighbourhoods.
With the exception of a section centred on Paris, the show homes in on Barrat’s New York studies, revealing a deeply humanist artist whose curiosity comes without judgement, and whose respect and commitment to her subjects have resulted in lifelong friendships – and marvellous work. Highlights include You Do the Crime, You Do the Time, a documentary made with South Bronx gangs the Roman Kings and the Ghetto Brothers, who allowed Barrat unprecedented access to their world, and Do or Die, a raw but surprisingly tender photo series capturing young boxers-in-training across Harlem, Bed-Stuy and the Bronx.