World Union of Culture

Madame Humanité

 The look into Gerard Gratadour workshop brings us interesting realization. The comprehensive exhibition, which we had the chance to see in Prague, introduced us to the broad scope of the photoghraphic woks from this artisan. He is drawn to psychological civilization conflicts, the dramatic aspects of everyday life. That is the main reason, why he is not interested in picturing a moment in time, but rather seeks the balance of excitement and peace, favors meditation, contemplation, when one thinks over himself. Gratadour fights against everyday platitude, looks for the secrets of being, what is hidden under the surface of things and people customs.

     That is especially true for photoportraits, where every detail is upgraded by Gerard to the inner reflection of one’s soul, in facial detail, in bodily gesture, in the look of the eyes, and so on. It is not about the traditional perspective in space perception, it is often about unconventional looks, over and under looks, the skewed angles of photographic view, and the like. His photography forces You to see also the life deformations, desillusions, and tragedies.

     Documentary photograph has a special place, especially the urban psychology. He fights the anonymity in the field of view, he wants to identify urban life cycles, the shifts between time, light, noise and silence. The pictures of monuments and places of rememberance, especially the ones of Prague are poetic symphonies, in which the author seeks metaphorical meaning transcendence, he looks for the imprints of past generations in every stone, every wall, in the temple and in the tree tops, in various paths the humans took in their time. This time delving is essential for Gerard, because photography, that is a moment in time. It is a picture of people, and it is hard to depict in a flashes of moments. Gerard is interested in psychology of mankind, whether moving, still, aggressive or glory. That is the destiny of journalist photographer today, and Gerard Gratadour is a master of civilization psychology.

 

  • Prof. PhDr. Miroslav Klivar, CSc,
  • World Information Distributed University Brusel,
  • Member of the European Organization
    art Critics AICA, Paris