Jean Gaumy
Sublimating the ordinary
“I wanted to present my black-and-white vision of this garden, where Monet once revolutionized colour“
A photographer, member of the French Academy, legend of photojournalism and cornerstone of the Magnum agency, Jean Gaumy has taken up residence with his camera in Giverny, where he wanders through the beautiful flower beds. He captures black and white fragments of this enchanting garden where Monet gave pride of place to colour. Say Who met him to celebrate the launch of his new book “Une certaine nature d’après Giverny”.
Could you introduce yourself?
Jean Gaumy:
Talking about me is not my favourite thing to do, as my teenage shyness never really left me! I was born in 1948 and started out as a photojournalist while studying literature. In 1973, I was invited by Raymond Depardon to join the Gamma agency, before moving on to Magnum 4 years later. Even today, as an associate, I keep contributing to the agency’s photo collection. At the same time, I decided to take a look at what happens behind closed doors in places such as hospitals and prisons. Then, my work led me to devote myself to my great passion for the ocean. I boarded North Sea trawlers to document the rigour and beauty of fishermen’s work. My book “Le Livre des tempêtes” earned me my first Prix Nadar in 2001, followed by “D’après nature” in 2010. I was appointed to the Académie des Beaux Arts in 2016, but I keep photographing to this day, with only one condition: I won’t edit my photos. At best, I correct the exposure or reframe, but I don’t want to distort reality, even less so with AI…
I take it you are fascinated with water.
Jean Gaumy:
The sea has a strong hold over me. It’s a living, breathing substance that has never ceased to intrigue me, both above and below the surface. After documenting it for so long, I even became Peintre Officiel de la Marine (Painter of the Fleet)! This title was awarded to me by the French Minister of Defence, and is given to artists who have dedicated their skills to the sea, the French Navy and seafarers. Water never stays quiet. Even here in Giverny, beneath the peaceful surface of this pond, a thousand fascinating things are happening right now. I’ve always loved bad weather; there’s nothing more beautiful than a storm. Dark clouds always hold the promise of a great shot, as far as I’m concerned. When it’s raining heavily, I will take shelter only if I can find a spot near a window so that I can watch the water run off. I like to take photos when the world is half-underwater. This in-between moment leaves room for the unexpected to happen.
Is that why water is a recurrent element in your photographs?
Jean Gaumy:
Water is a great catalyst. In a peaceful and flamboyant garden like this one, where thousands of tourists photograph the flowers against a postcard-blue sky every day, I only take out my camera when the sky looks threatening. Sparingly. Back in the day, photography was a precious thing. You only saw the final result after the shooting and the developing process. When I photograph, even when I do it with my iPhone, I don’t just snap away. I wait for something to happen in front of me. It has to simmer. When I notice something that intrigues me, I observe, for hours even, until I come up with a composition. Once I’m convinced, I take out my camera and choose how to frame. I take the photo in colour and then convert it to black and white. I wait a while, look at it again. Then I come back to it the next day and ponder a bit. If I’m still convinced, then I keep it.
Isn’t it somewhat paradoxical to choose one of the most colourful gardens in the world to shoot black and white?
Jean Gaumy:
I wouldn’t dare to tackle colour in the garden of the painter who revolutionised our perception of it. In his house, even the walls are multicoloured. Monet lived and breathed colour. Faced with such a chromatic pinnacle, it seemed more interesting to work without it. Or rather, to let each viewer imagine what lies behind these fifty shades of grey. Instinctively, I quickly sensed the potential of this tangled vegetation. But I needed time to make it my own. I wander through it like a tightrope walker. Throughout my career, I’ve let life surprise me. Whenever I saw something that seduced me, something that intrigued me, I instinctively took a photo. However, I’m still haunted by all the ones I didn’t take. In theatres of war or during storms that one can only experience in the North Seas, on the other side of this peaceful garden, everything was done on the spur of the moment. And when I couldn’t make up my mind quickly enough, I missed a shot. And nothing could take me back. A photographer is someone who will spend the rest of their life wondering about the photos they didn’t take.
Are you referring to “Une Certaine Nature”?
Jean Gaumy:
This book is the result of seven years of photographing in the gardens of Giverny, shot entirely with an iPhone. I wanted to show that anyone can take beautiful and publishable photographs, provided they learn how to master their tool and, more importantly, take the time to choose the right framework for their narrative. I don’t like throwaway photographs. They must say something about who took them, reveal what’s deep inside them. In this book, produced by the small Parisian publishing house EXB, I wanted to show that beauty lies elsewhere than in the bliss of a colour-soaked scene. Even if that’s the first thing that strikes you when stepping into this garden. I wanted to go beyond it. And that’s what I’ve done, or at least I believe so.
Interview by Nicolas Salomon
Photo: courtesy of Jean Gaumy
