The beautiful book Being There, by director Lee Shulman and portraitist Omar Victor Diop, plunges us, not without humor, into the segregationist America of the 1950s and 1960s. An artistic rereading of photos by anonymous people who, through photomontages, question the stereotypes of an idealized America.
The first is Senegalese, his name is Omar Victor Diop. He is a photographer and portrait painter. His composed, elaborate and stylized self-portraits made him famous through his series “ Liberty “, ” Diaspora ” Or ” Allegria “. The second is a director, graduated in film and photography. His name is Lee Shulman. He was born in London, but is based in Paris. It is there that for six years, he has undertaken to bring together a unique collection of slides, called “ The Anonymous Project “.
The meeting between these two enthusiasts has just given birth to a series of astonishing photos: with a lot of humor and irony, with a certain mischief too, the first slipped into the photos of the second, thus bringing an afro note -American in the vacation or daily life clichés of white America of the 50s and 60s, those of segregation. Something to be surprised at, smile at, sometimes laugh at. Something to think about too.
Being there is a book published by Textuel editions. It’s also an exhibition to discover next week, as part of the Paris Photo event, on the Magnin-A gallery stand.
Omar Victor Diop And Lee Shulman are the guests of VMDN.
Rebroadcast of the show from Wednesday November 1, 2023.