A photographer with a keen eye, Eli Lotar has been given full recognition in an exhibition of rare beauty at the Jeu de Paume. Comprising one hundred photos, viewers are taken on a journey through the avant-garde, devilishly modern and surprisingly surreal work of this contemporary photographer, who can be compared to Germaine Krull, Luis Bunuel and Giacometti.
A photojournalist for publications like Detective, VU and L’art vivant in the thirties, Lotar’s original prints, as well as press cuttings are on show. This Parisian was a product of his time, of his city and of the men who made it. His realism can also be seen in his cinematographic work, such as his twenty-four minute film about the Parisian ghetto of Aubervilliers. Politically committed, tenacious and dedicated, he lifted the lid on the awful conditions in which the residents lived, with a tender eye.
Each photo is heartfelt and shows the talent of this insightful photographer, whose visionary avant-gardism brings to light the lives of the fragile, the poor and the creative. A much-needed retrospective, Jeu de Paume presents Lotar’s work as part of a wider history. Guaranteed to coax you back to the Paris of yesteryear.
TRANSLATION: MEGAN CARNEGIE