Brassai Paris: 1899-1984

ISBN: 3836503891

Author: Gautrand, Jean-Claude

Condition: New

Harlots, hoodlums, and heathens in Brassa's Paris "Brassa is a living eye," wrote Henry Miller of the Hungarian-born artist who adopted Paris after World War I and became one of its most celebrated photographers. Originally a painter before he moved on to writing, sculpture, cinema and, most famously, photography, Brassa (1899-1984) was a member of Pariss cultural elite, counting Miller, Picasso, Sartre, Camus, and Cocteau, among his friends. Camera in hand, he scoured the streets and bars of Paris, unabashedly capturing the citys inhabitants in their natural habitats. Prostitutes, hoodlums, and other marginal characters were the most famous heroes of Brassas moody, gritty photographs taken often by night. Including an extensive selection of Brassas finest photographs and an essay describing his life and work, this book explores the world of Brassa in thematic chapters: Minotaure magazine, Paris at Night, Secret Paris, Day Visions, Artists of My Life, and Graffiti and Transmutations.