Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Man, The Image & The World

Venue: Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane
Dates: 27 August - 27 November 2011
Cost: Adult $12; Concession $10; Members $9 (Discount available to Gallery and Foundation Members);
Secondary students $6; Children (12 years & under) FREE; Family (1–2 Adults & Children aged 13–17) $30;
Season adult $36; Season concession $30; Season member $27 (Discount available to Gallery and Foundation Members)

Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004), the French photographer who redefined both photojournalism and his craft as an art form, will be celebrated in a major exhibition at the Queensland Art Gallery from 27 August to 27 November 2011.

Queensland Art Gallery Director Tony Ellwood said “Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Man, The Image & The World would feature work from throughout the renowned photographer’s extraordinary career, which spanned over 70 years.

“Cartier-Bresson’s photography is exceptional for capturing “the decisive moment”, an illustration of action, emotion and an entire
story through the single frame of the camera lens,” Mr Ellwood said.

“Visitors will have an opportunity to see more than 250 of Cartier-Bresson’s photographs, including his defining records of modern history and intimate portraits of daily life from around the world. “Cartier-Bresson travelled extensively to document some of the most significant historical events of the 20th century, including the Cultural Revolution in China, the impact of Gandhi’s assassination in India and life behind the Iron Curtain in the Soviet Union during the 1950s.”

“The exhibition includes images from his time in Europe, Mexico, America, China, Japan, Bali, India and the USSR, where he was one of the first western photo-reporters to visit during the Cold War. “His celebrated assignments for Life magazine not only reshaped photojournalism but gave a rare insight into world events,” Mr Ellwood said.

“Cartier-Bresson, who was trained as a painter, saw photography not just as a tool of documentation, but an art form in its own right. „A pioneer in representing the rights of photographers through his co-founding of the Magnum Photos agency, Cartier-Bresson set benchmarks not just for photojournalism, but for the aesthetics and ethics of photography as a medium. “He also photographed some of the most influential artists, writers and thinkers of the 20th Century.”

Included in the exhibition are portraits of Henri Matisse, Alberto Giacometti, Pablo Picasso, Francis Bacon, Jean Renoir, Georges Braque, Arthur Miller and Jean-Paul Sartre.

“Cartier-Bresson described photography as “aligning the head, the eye and the heart along the same line of sight”. This exhibition puts into perspective his remarkable career behind the camera, he said.

“Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Man, The Image & The World is presented by the Queensland Art Gallery in conjunction with Magnum Photos, Paris and the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation. The photographs were selected by Cartier-Bresson and long term friend and publisher Robert Delpire before Cartier-Bresson’s death in 2004.

Visitors will be able to explore Cartier-Bresson’s work and life in depth in a specially designed resource lounge. Located directly outside the exhibition space, the lounge will provide visitors with access to biographical information and photographs marking key moments throughout his career, as well as a large selection of photography publications.

The exhibition opening weekend will feature a comprehensive program of talks and tours providing visitors with the chance to learn more about the man who revolutionised modern photography and captured some of the most iconic images of the twentieth century.

An ongoing series of programs and events includes monthly focus sessions situating Cartier-Bresson’s work through the eyes of local photographers, photojournalists, fashion and travel photographers and bloggers.

The exhibition is accompanied by a definitive retrospective catalogue containing over 600 colour and duo-tone illustrations, including previously unpublished photographs and a selection of drawings, painting and film stills documenting the photographer’s lifetime achievements.

Image: Henri Cartier-Bresson | France. Paris. Place de l'Europe. Gare Saint Lazare 1932 | Collection: Henri Cartier-Bresson Fondation, Magnum Photos. © Henri Cartier-Bresson/Magnum Photos