[Title] Kimura Ihei in Paris: Photographs 1954-1955
Space Design: Konstantin Grcic
[Date]October 28, 2006 – January 21, 2007
To Paris
Paris at this moment is in terrible weather, becoming the Paris of darkness. Yet, this atmosphere of Paris has begun to sink into me. After a light drizzle of rain, or shall I call it a late autumn shower, the sun would come out through an occasional rift in clouds. In these moments, the damp pavement shines in magnificence. It would be lucky to encounter these moments in a good location, but I have not yet had the fortune. In order to take a good photograph here, you have to really persevere, which makes it difficult for someone as impatient as I am to endure. I suppose I must be patient and absorb the air of Paris.
(“Diary” Photographs from Kimura Ihei’s Travels Abroad / The Asahi Shimbun, 1955)”
With Cartier-Bresson
Monsieur Cartier’s life in Paris was so incredibly busy that we rarely had time to sit down and talk. Sensing this, he invited me to spend four or five days with him at his house in the countryside (his atelier). We arrived in an old town named Blois, around three hours by car from Paris. His house was the chateau where the chief retainers had stayed during the times of Louis XV.
Having arrived in the town of Blois, I was overwhelmed by his thoughtfulness of allowing me to use my camera. To tell the truth, throughout my travels in Europe before I met Monsieur Cartier, I felt so anxious that I could not take any good photographs. Feeling the hospitality of the town of Blois and watching him work with his camera, my mind suddenly became cheerful and I found myself beginning to take many, many photographs.
(“My Impressions of Him in Paris: Henri Cartier-Bresson” Camera Daily / May, 1957 The Mainichi Newspapers)
About Doisneau
Without wandering into the backstreets, one hardly encounters any remnants of the Bastille Day celebration. Doisneau showed me all of the places I needed to see by car during the day, and on celebrating the eve of the festival, we went out to Menilmontant (where “Le Ballon Rouge” was filmed) and near the Saint-Martin Canal (known for “Hotel du Nord”), where there still remains the atmosphere of Paris.
What is interesting about Doisneau is his personality. He is a photographer that is truly loved by the people of the working-class. Doisneau would drive his car into narrow lanes, where other vehicles would be immediately turned over if they dared to attempt. But if he tells them his name, they open the way to him. The reason why Doisneau uses his car is because he cannot shoot good photographs without climbing onto top of the car. His car roof is equipped with iron railings. I also climbed onto the car roof with Doisneau and took some photographs.
(“Diary in Europe” Photographs from Kimura Ihei’s Travels Abroad II: Europe and its Impressions / 1956, The Asahi Shimbun)