Ed van der Elsken (1925-1990) is a unique figure in Dutch 20th-century documentary cinema and photography. As a photographer, his preferred subject was the street, and in cities like Paris, Amsterdam, Hong Kong or Tokyo, he enjoyed ‘hunting’ for subjects. Often qualified as a “photographer of marginal figures,” he sought in reality an aesthetic form; a visual authenticity that was devoid of artifice. Jeu de Paume presents a large selection of some of his most iconic images: shots of Paris from the 1950s, figures photographed on his numerous travels or in his native Amsterdam from the 1960s onwards and excerpts from his films and slide shows.
Ed van der Elsken, Camera in Love, until 24 September, Jeu de Paume, Concorde, Paris.
Credits
1. Ed van der Elsken, Jean-Michel Mension (Pierre) et Auguste Hommel (Benny), Paris, 1953. Nederlands Fotomuseum Rotterdam. © Ed van der Elsken / Ed van der Elsken Estate.
