The Eye of Photography opens a new chapter of “Cartes Blanches” with the support of MPB. Each month, a French photographer will show a new series produced with equipment loaned by the international platform for the purchase, resale and exchange of photographic equipment.
Simon Depardon traveled to the Deleitosa in the footsteps of W. Eugene Smith. Echoing the American's photographs, his series captures the course of daily life in the village of Deleitosa and oscillates between a dignity marked by slowness and the idleness of the ordinary.
“In 1951, W. Eugene Smith immortalized for LIFE magazine the daily lives of the inhabitants of Deleitosa, a remote village in Extremadura, in the southwest of Spain. This emblematic series of rurality under Francoism remains engraved in the collective memory of the village. Censored by the regime, the magazine would only reach residents several decades later. A large number of misunderstandings and misinterpretations have marked his work, making W. Eugene Smith a controversial figure. Today, the controversy continues: is the portrait he painted of the village to the advantage of its inhabitants, or a crude caricature of the poverty that reigned at the time? One thing is certain, his trip had a profound impact on certain villagers, lastingly influencing the way they viewed photographers and sometimes making our work more difficult than elsewhere.
Pour The Eye of PhotographyI produce a contemporary series, in color and sometimes with flash (Leica SF 40 connected via PC sync cable) aiming to explore how the local population continues to resist a decline marked by the exodus of youth and repeated droughts. Through these portraits, I tried to capture the duality of this village: a place where dignity and idleness coexist, where looks reflect both the harshness of everyday life and a quiet resignation to the passage of time.
My work consisted of meeting residents in their daily lives, often in the streets, while establishing links with local institutions such as the town hall, firefighters and the Guardia Civil. The flash, used in certain portraits, allowed me to reveal the raw reality of the place, by accentuating the contrasts and details of everyday life.
This series talks about rural Spain, a certain abandonment on the part of the public authorities, but also an unchanging life imbued with great dignity. It is a work that I hope to continue, in order to continue to bear witness to the strength and resilience of these inhabitants who, despite the difficulties, welcomed me with great generosity and precious trust.”
Simon Depardon
Born in 1991 in Paris, Simon Depardon is a director and photographer. His photographic work captures the ordinary life of people and their city through stories taken from his reports and field investigations. Anchored in a documentary approach, his work seeks to capture the deepest depths of his subjects, finding beauty, depth and timelessness.
He is the author of several feature-length documentaries including Feminist response that he co-directed with Marie Perrenès (official selection, Cannes Film Festival 2022). He also recently exhibited recent portraits of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic athletes as part of the “Art in the City” program with Paris City Hall.
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