Michel Nuridsany's 1980 Critique of Photography's Stagnation
In a 1980 article for artpress, critic Michel Nuridsany assessed the state of photography, arguing that despite newfound institutional support—such as a dedicated section at the Biennale de Paris and a major presence at the Salon des Indépendants—the medium was creatively stagnant. He attributed this to the lingering influence of photo-clubs and a willful ignorance of contemporary art. Nuridsany praised artists like Bernard Faucon, Eva Klasson, and Christian Boltanski for pushing boundaries, but lamented that most photographers remained timid and self-satisfied. He noted that the public had grown, yet exhibitions offered little beyond reviving past glories, and the Arles festival had declined. Nuridsany called for cross-pollination between photography and painting, citing historical precedents from the 1920s when figures like László Moholy-Nagy and Man Ray freely exchanged ideas. The article was republished in December 2020 as part of an online archive series tied to the 2020-2021 dossier on the landmark exhibition "Ils se disent peintres, ils se disent photographes" (ARC/Musée d'art moderne de la Ville de Paris, 1980-1981).
Key facts
- Article by Michel Nuridsany originally published in artpress n°40, September 1980.
- Republished online in December 2020 as part of an archive series.
- Nuridsany was curator of the exhibition 'Ils se disent peintres, ils se disent photographes' at ARC/Musée d'art moderne de la Ville de Paris (22 Nov 1980 – 4 Jan 1981).
- The exhibition featured 35 artists or duos and was a milestone in merging photography and visual arts.
- Nuridsany criticized the persistence of photo-club mentality and ignorance of contemporary art.
- He praised artists like Bernard Faucon, Eva Klasson, Christian Boltanski, and others for innovative use of photography.
- He noted the Biennale de Paris (1980) had a dedicated photography section for the first time.
- The article references Pierre Bourdieu's 1965 study 'Un art moyen' on amateur photography.
Entities
Artists
- Michel Nuridsany
- Bernard Faucon
- Eva Klasson
- Gloria Friedmann
- Tom Drahos
- Sophie Calle
- Sara Holt
- Jacques Henri Lartigue
- Robert Doisneau
- Édouard Boubat
- Christian Boltanski
- Jean Le Gac
- Michael Snow
- Bernd Becher
- Hilla Becher
- Jan Groover
- Boyd Webb
- Barbara Leisgen
- Michael Leisgen
- Tim Head
- Victor Burgin
- Hamish Fulton
- Michele Zaza
- Jan Dibbets
- Katharina Sieverding
- Arnulf Rainer
- James Collins
- William Wegman
- Erica Lennard
- Eve Sonneman
- Florence Henri
- László Moholy-Nagy
- André Kertesz
- Raoul Hausmann
- Man Ray
- Brassaï
- Sarkis
- Hans Hartung
- David Haxton
- Bram van Velde
- Nicéphore Niépce
- Louis Daguerre
- William Henry Fox Talbot
- Pierre Bourdieu
- Agathe Gaillard
- Jean-Philippe Lecat
- Georges Herscher
- Claude Nori
- Albert Champeaux
Institutions
- artpress
- ARC/Musée d'art moderne de la Ville de Paris
- Biennale de Paris
- Salon des Indépendants
- Grand Palais
- Musée d'Orsay
- Centre Pompidou
- Médiathèque de l'architecture et du patrimoine
- Association des Amis de Jacques Henri Lartigue
- Donation Jacques Henri Lartigue
- Galerie Agathe Gaillard
- Galerie Sonnabend
- Galerie Bama
- Galerie Durand-Dessert
- Galerie Nancy Gillespie
- Galerie Farideh Cadot
- Éditions du Chêne
- Contrejour
- Créatis
- Festival d'Arles
- Prix Kodak de la critique
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Arles
- Chalon-sur-Saône
- Toulouse
- Prague
- Vienna
- Budapest
- Moscow
- Berlin
- New York
- Rome
- Italy
- Netherlands
- Canada
- Germany
- Austria
- England
- United States
Sources
- artpress —