Shitao's Painting Treatise and Denis Roche's Photography-Writing Nexus

Jacques Henric's feuilleton reviews two publications: Pierre Ryckmans' translation of Shitao's "Propos sur la peinture" (Plon) and the proceedings of a 2004 Lyon colloquium on Denis Roche's work, "L'un écrit, l'autre photographie" (ENS éditions). Shitao (1641–c.1720), the "Moine de la Citrouille-Amère," authored an 18-chapter treatise on painting that combines Taoist, Confucian, and Buddhist aesthetics, emphasizing the "Unique Trait of Pinceau" as the origin of all phenomena. Ryckmans notes that Shitao's text is less about aesthetics than philosophical ethics, focusing on the painter's act rather than individual works. Henric contrasts this with Denis Roche, a writer-photographer who stated "J'écris, donc je photographie" (art press, 1982). The colloquium, directed by Jean-Marie Gleize and Luigi Magno, explores the relationship between writing and photography. Roche argues that photography is an "éloge du regard" (praise of the gaze), not a representation of reality. Philippe Forest draws parallels between Roche's "Boîtier de mélancolie" and Jean-Luc Godard's "Histoire(s) du cinéma." The volume includes contributions from academics, using specialized terminology like "dichotomie cognitive" and "lecture dispositale."