It will be one of the works of his life. After nourishing us with the clichés of “The earth seen from the sky” Yann Arthus-Bertrand returns to his first loves, humans, the flesh. Nearly 30,000 people have passed his goal since the start of his national tour. This focus gives an idea of France.
Affluence
And people flock massively to the ephemeral studio at the town hall in the 1st and 7th arrondissements of Marseille. During these 3 days more than 600 candidates will have benefited from the shooting. They come alone but especially with family or to promote a brand or an ancestral house. We find the protagonists of the Savonnerie du Midi, the Empereur house, almost two centuries old, with the oldest Jeanne surrounded by her family, in work clothes. “ As soon as it was offered to me I said presentconfides Jeanne. We love our city, we love our job, we love our family and we love our business. This photo sums it up ».
The need for flesh
After his spectacular photos of “ Earth seen from the sky » the photographer needed to feed on flesh. “ Today faces interest me more than landscapes. I prefer peopleconfides Yann Arthus Bertrand. So he takes one after another at an average of 200 per day. An assembly line job that doesn't stop him from having a good word for one or the other. “ It’s the nursing home here! » upon seeing a group of retirees arrive. Or to have a bit of a chat after the pose and show the interest of this or that shot “ she's not bad, she's dynamic ».
An idea of France
In this temporary studio, everyone has their own style, their own message… 28,000 people have already passed in front of Yann Arthus Bertrand's lens since he crossed France. This gives an idea of the country. “I don't want to be pretentious but what I'm doing is good. It’s an interesting and important job, says Yann Arthus-Bertrand. We really need work that brings the French together. The image that the National Assembly gives is dramatic and it doesn't look at all like what I photograph. There is a lot of kindness, kindness and heart in this studio.”
A vast work
These photos will be compiled in a thousand-page book published by Actes Sud in 2025. The texts will be by the historian and demographer Hervé Le Bras. An exhibition is also planned in Paris.
Report Joël BARCY
