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EDITO
For this edition cover and section dividers we have given “carte blanche”
to “The French serials photographer”
Charles Fréger
. Born in Bourges in 1975,
he is a graduate of the Rouen Art School.
He dedicates himself to the poetic and anthropological representation of social groups such
as sportsmen, pupils and soldiers etc. The style of the photos are often similar
(viewpoint, color, lighting, distance between the photographer and his subject).
Charles Fréger
’s work thus questions the boundaries between individual and collective
identity. His portraits, although poetic, are far from psychological. There’s nothing
picturesque about them either. He photographs his subjects like an entomologist pins his
insects. There’s also a touch of sociology and ethnology with his inexhaustible inventories
of the most extraordinarily diverse social groups, many of which are slowly becoming
extinct. These archives of social bodies, in a state of mutation, these families of mankind,
if you like, are ¬documented on a human scale, and free of embarrassing sentimentality;
they form the inventory of this 34-year-old French photographer.
He is also the founder of the artistic community Piece of Cake and of the POC publishing
hous -
www.pocproject.com“Wilder Mann” series grew out of
Charles Fréger
fascination on the European mask
culture going back to its Medieval roots, when masks represent a sum of everything
the community fears, wants, all its defects or values.
“Trapo” Zarramacadas de Mecerreyes, Spain (Modem cover) is a traditional Burgos area
carnival mask. Zarramacadas are the King’s (Rey) servants and are dressed in rags.
Charles Fréger
wants to explore the Wild Man legend, in contrast with the modern man
culture spoilt by everyday confort.
Despite of representing the community these savages are solitary figures and almost
forgotten now days, that the artist wants to immolate an celebrate to turn them inoffensive
and make this obscure and archaic human instinct representation a social fact.
Charles Fréger
is also the author of different books. His photographic series have been
exposed in different Museums and Art Centres.
The images in this Modem Europe edition are part of the book
“Wilder Mann”
The French version is published by Thames&Hudson. The English one is made
by Dewi Lewis publisher. The Italian version is made by Peliti associati and the German
one is made by Kehrer.
www.charlesfreger.comEzio Barbaro & his team thanks all our partners, we wish you all a happy season...