Jean-Paul Fargier's Video Portraits of Philippe Sollers Reissued
Jean-Paul Fargier's series of video films featuring writer Philippe Sollers, made between 1980 and 1989, are being reissued on DVD by Art Malta. Fargier, an early adopter of lightweight video in France, produced the films through his association VidéoMontages, with support from cultural centers, the Centre Pompidou, and other institutions. The ten films capture Sollers in diverse formats: 'Sollers au Paradis' uses TV news techniques with chroma key effects; 'Sollers au pied du mur' is a travelogue about the Bible; 'Le Trou de la Vierge' is a fixed-camera monologue on female representations in art, sparked by Courbet's 'L'Origine du monde'; and 'Sollers joue Diderot' is a costume comedy set in the Palais-Royal. Fargier emphasizes that each film was a formal experiment, avoiding repetition, and together they form a unique documentation of Sollers, a major figure in French letters.
Key facts
- Jean-Paul Fargier made about ten video films with Philippe Sollers between 1980 and 1989.
- Fargier was one of the first in France to use lightweight video equipment.
- The films were produced through VidéoMontages, an association for video experimentation.
- Funding came from cultural centers, the Centre Pompidou, and other institutions.
- Art Malta is reissuing the films on DVD.
- The films include 'Sollers au Paradis', 'Sollers au pied du mur', 'Le Trou de la Vierge', and 'Sollers joue Diderot'.
- 'Le Trou de la Vierge' is a monologue responding to a question by Jacques Henric about Courbet's 'L'Origine du monde'.
- Fargier aimed for each film to be a formally unique experiment.
Entities
Artists
- Jean-Paul Fargier
- Philippe Sollers
- Jean-Luc Godard
- Jacques Henric
- Gustave Courbet
- Denis Diderot
Institutions
- Art Malta
- VidéoMontages
- Centre Pompidou
- art press
Locations
- France
- Palais-Royal
Sources
- artpress —