Paolo Roversi is one of the greatest and of the most elusive fashion photographers. His collaborations with designers like Romeo Gigli, Yohji Yamamoto, and Rei Kawakubo are legendary. Yet, his persona is tinged with the same kind of mystery as his images. He rarely publishes books and he rarely exhibits his work.
The Paolo Roversi exhibition at the Palais Galliera features photographs taken over a career of 50 years. It shows how the artist has created a unique body of work within the world of fashion. This is the first major exhibit to be devoted to Paolo Roversi in Paris.
Paolo Roversi was born in Italy but moved to Paris in 1973. Since his years as an apprentice, Roversi’s choice of studio, large-format cameras and Polaroid, too, have defined both his working methods and his aesthetic, although he has also successfully adapted to digital photography.
His signature is instantly recognizable: soft, sepia-toned black and white, shot in natural light; a density and depth of colour achieved by using a Mag-Lite flashlight. Over the years, Paolo Roversi has explored and invented his own photographic language, accepting chance and accidents as opportunities to develop his style
This exhibition brings together 140 works, including previously unseen images, Polaroid prints and archives (magazines, catalogues, etc.) that give an insight into Paolo Roversi’s professional and artistic career.
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Paolo Roversi, at Palais Galliera in Paris, on view now through July 14, 2024
All images © Paolo Roversi, courtesy of the museum
