“I recommend the work of Olivier Pojzman, whose Californian panoramics, all printed on canvas, remind us of the great American masters – David Hockney and Edward Hopper. One also notices the influence of hyperrealism. Olivier was exhibiting until April 30 in the heart of downtown, along with five other French artists.”

– David Martinon, Consul General of France

As some of you may already know, Los Angeles is today’s creation’s capital of the world, and should not be envious of its New York “sister”. I have noticed, among the recent openings that are taking place here, a new emerging trend in a specific field – but fundamental in the city of images – photography. Between fashion, documentaries, portraits and architecture, a new kind of typically Californian photography is growing stronger, inspired by the avant garde movement of the sixties and more recently hyperrealism. Mostly, the digital revolution in the field of new technologies had a significant influence on the most innovative state of the nation. The city has an abundance of openings, retrospectives and conferences on the subject. My Friend Louis Stern – one of the city’s best gallery owner- set the tone. At the beginning of April, his Melrose gallery exhibited the works of eight “Jeunes Talents”, eight students from Los Angeles’ most prominent art schools. The concept behind “Jeunes Talents”, a program that we initiated, is simple: take young talented photographers and introduce them to a French city with its own traditions and culture. Enroll key Los Angeles photography actors in the process and offer the whole package to a great art gallery…The result is one of the most audacious and unique exhibition to date, with a fresh look on today’s France.

I was delighted to note that several French photographers, already established or soon to be, whether they live in the area or not, are exhibited here. First, I was delighted to see the Fahey/Klein gallery exhibit one of the world’s most significant photographer of fashion and music: Jean-Marie Perier. From the members of “Salut les copains” to Hollywood actors, from Sylvie Vartan, Johnny, Michel Polnareff, all Angelinos, to Sean Penn, Perier was able to create a “world”.

His shots captured the magic of those times that came through its mystic figures, from the sixties to today, to make them eternal. I loved his photos of my idols: James Brown, the Stones, the Beatles, James Ellroy, … Jean-Marie has an everlasting enthusiasm. That is probably why his consenting victims like him so much.

On the other hand, I recommend the work of Olivier Pojzman, whom Californian panoramics, all printed on canvas, remind us of the great American masters – David Hockney and Edward Hopper. One also notices the influence of hyperrealism. Olivier was exhibiting until April 30 in the heart of downtown, along with five other French artists. Also to be mentioned was the inaugural exhibit and “Slide Show” night at the Annenberg Space for Photography, Los Angeles new reference for photography. The works of 30 photographers from the city of angels, among them the French Mathieu Grandjean and Marc Lécureuil, reporters but also esthetes were exhibited. Finally, my friend Benjamin Trigano, owner of M+B Gallery, presented the first US solo exhibition of color photographs by French photographer Erwan Frotin. The exhibition called STRANGERS “captures the flowers of Hyères, the dramatic and highly specialized world of plants in the region around the Villa Noailles”.