October 23, 2023
When Peter Schlesinger stepped into Lhtel de Maisons last week for the opening of Design Miami Paris, his memory of visiting the htel particulier 45 years ago for Paloma Picassos wedding immediately flashed back. I suddenly remembered all the guests climbing up the grand escalier and myself photographing them from the bottom of the staircase, he tells AnOther. It was quite strange returning to the same place.
A photograph from that matrimonial bash currently hangs on the other side of the Seine, at the artists new solo exhibitionPeter Schlesinger: France 1969-1979 at the freshly opened Mariposa Gallery in Le Marais. The show features 11 images that the New York-based artist took during his holidays in France between 1969 and 1979, a period that coincides with his time in London, where Schlesinger moved from the US west coast in 1966 as David Hockneys lover and muse.
Surrounded by Europes bohemian elite, the then 18-year-old Schlesinger found himself immersed in a world of style and influence. The creative rush soon led him to reach for his camera; immortalising the fleeting moments of monumental figures, the resulting photographs embody an anarchic hedonism and breezy ease. Andy Warhol reads the daily paper in the backseat of a car in Monaco; Robert Mapplethorpe casually leaves a camera shop in Saint-Germain; David Hockney sits in a bubble-filled tub in Vichy; Ossie Clark lights a cigarette solo at a bistro; or Eric Boman and Grace Coddington take a stroll in Rue de Rivoli.
Below, Peter Schlesinger whose oeuvre in photography has been subject to two volumes, A Checkered Past(2003) and Peter Schlesinger: A Photographic Memory 19681989 (2015) shares his memories of the time period.
Paris has changed, like many metropolises, since those days the city is just so much more busy. We tried to see some shows and museums this week but you cant just go in anywhere unless you book or stand in line. Before, you could just walk into Sainte-Chapelle or any museum. I was very nervous when I was here at age 18: everything was fresh and new. There wasnt this much imagery running around, so everything felt more adventurous. Everything was a discovery in a way because there wasnt really mass tourism, either. People werent taking photographs everywhere you go.
In the moment, you just take things happening to you for granted. Paloma [Picasso], for example, was a close friend, but I didnt know Karl [Lagerfeld] really. When I went there for the first time, he had an apartment on the hotels ground floor but when I went back for the wedding, he also had an apartment upstairs above the grand staircase. I had known Andy [Warhol] a little bit, and he wasnt really a world-famous person at the time. Then, no one minded having their picture taken because they didnt have to worry about those pictures being published anywhere.
My father liked photography. I did some photography classes in high school, and then my aunt who was in Japan brought me a camera back for my twentieth birthday. Some people say they see a parallel between my photography and ceramics which I dont see as much. I can imagine they notice a similar sense of composition and attention to form. Also, some think they have a similar sense of humour. When I used to take pictures, I was thinking about the composition all the time. When you look through a hole with a camera, the lens forces you to frame a picture differently. This is not so much the case anymore with phone cameras.
I didnt have a lot of money then to buy films, and processing was quite expensive. I was quite economical with how many pictures I took and I got them printed at drug stores around the corner rather than a professional print shop. I had a roll with 36 pictures each time, so I had to be careful about what I photographed.
[Robert] Mapplethorpe didnt know me and he didnt know I was taking his picture. With some [subjects], I was friends with them and found myself in the situations you see in the images. In most cases, you just grab a moment, whatever you can. The situations may just be very quick. If I could take one frame or two frames at most, that would be lucky. The Mapplethorpe image in the show, for example, was the only one I was able to take there werent many to choose from. I however have a few different shots from La Piscine Deligny, and for the show, I chose the one I liked the best. I remember there was the main pool and an upper level where I took the picture from.
Peter Schlesinger: France 1969 - 1979 is on show at Mariposa Gallery in Paris until 25 November 2023.
Continued here:
Peter Schlesinger's Hedonistic Photos of Artists in 1970s Paris - AnOther Magazine
- Well-Being (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) [Last Updated On: January 20th, 2016] [Originally Added On: January 20th, 2016]
- Hedonism | Definition of Hedonism by Merriam-Webster [Last Updated On: February 5th, 2016] [Originally Added On: February 5th, 2016]
- Couples Resorts, Negril, Jamaica | Hedonism II [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2016] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2016]
- Hedonism | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2016] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2016]
- Couples Resorts, Negril, Jamaica | Hedonism II [Last Updated On: February 8th, 2016] [Originally Added On: February 8th, 2016]
- Hedonism (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) [Last Updated On: February 8th, 2016] [Originally Added On: February 8th, 2016]
- Hedonism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: February 8th, 2016] [Originally Added On: February 8th, 2016]
- Hedonism | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy [Last Updated On: February 8th, 2016] [Originally Added On: February 8th, 2016]
- Hedonism | Definition of Hedonism by Merriam-Webster [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2016] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2016]
- Hedonism | Define Hedonism at Dictionary.com [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2016] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2016]
- Clothing Optional Resorts, Negril, Jamaica | Hedonism II [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2016] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2016]
- What is Hedonism? (with pictures) - wiseGEEK [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2016] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2016]
- Hedonism | Define Hedonism at Dictionary.com [Last Updated On: March 20th, 2016] [Originally Added On: March 20th, 2016]
- Clothing Optional Resorts, Negril, Jamaica | Hedonism II [Last Updated On: March 23rd, 2016] [Originally Added On: March 23rd, 2016]
- Hedonism - Utilitarianism [Last Updated On: March 27th, 2016] [Originally Added On: March 27th, 2016]
- Hedonism Resort II Jamaica adults-only all ... - Call Now [Last Updated On: March 27th, 2016] [Originally Added On: March 27th, 2016]
- Hedonism - New World Encyclopedia [Last Updated On: March 28th, 2016] [Originally Added On: March 28th, 2016]
- Rates and Promotions Hedonism II - Negril Jamaica [Last Updated On: June 12th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 12th, 2016]
- Hedonism Wikipedia [Last Updated On: June 22nd, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 22nd, 2016]
- DennyP Travel: Information Central for travel to Jamaica ... [Last Updated On: June 28th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 28th, 2016]
- Hedonism - By Branch / Doctrine - The Basics of Philosophy [Last Updated On: July 1st, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 1st, 2016]
- Christian Hedonism | Desiring God [Last Updated On: July 5th, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 5th, 2016]
- Hedonism II | Top Clothing Optional Resorts In Negril, Jamaica [Last Updated On: July 7th, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 7th, 2016]
- Hedonism II | Top Clothing Optional Resorts In Negril, Jamaica [Last Updated On: July 8th, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 8th, 2016]
- CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Hedonism - NEW ADVENT [Last Updated On: July 9th, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 9th, 2016]
- Wirehead hedonism versus paradise-engineering [Last Updated On: July 25th, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 25th, 2016]
- Adult Vacations, Negril, Jamaica | Hedonism II [Last Updated On: August 21st, 2016] [Originally Added On: August 21st, 2016]
- Hedonism - Vikipeedia, vaba entsklopeedia [Last Updated On: September 2nd, 2016] [Originally Added On: September 2nd, 2016]
- Caribbean | Caribbean Hideaways [Last Updated On: September 6th, 2016] [Originally Added On: September 6th, 2016]
- Hedonistic Theories - Philosophy Home Page [Last Updated On: September 18th, 2016] [Originally Added On: September 18th, 2016]
- Our Resort | Hedonism II [Last Updated On: October 25th, 2016] [Originally Added On: October 25th, 2016]
- Cyrenaics | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy [Last Updated On: November 2nd, 2016] [Originally Added On: November 2nd, 2016]
- Club Hedonism - HTML Site Disclaimer [Last Updated On: November 23rd, 2016] [Originally Added On: November 23rd, 2016]
- Hedo II or Hedo III - Review of Hedonism II, Negril, Jamaica ... [Last Updated On: November 25th, 2016] [Originally Added On: November 25th, 2016]
- hedonism ii photo album - Castaways Travel [Last Updated On: November 27th, 2016] [Originally Added On: November 27th, 2016]
- Paradox of hedonism - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: December 2nd, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 2nd, 2016]
- Christian hedonism - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: December 21st, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 21st, 2016]
- Home - Wild Women Vacations [Last Updated On: January 4th, 2017] [Originally Added On: January 4th, 2017]
- Hedonism II Resort Negril, Jamaica [Last Updated On: January 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: January 8th, 2017]
- Hedonism II Community | Home [Last Updated On: January 31st, 2017] [Originally Added On: January 31st, 2017]
- Run The Beast Down, Finborough, London, review: Ben Aldridge keeps you compelled by the character's monomania - The Independent [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Dark side of hedonism: a rock journalist's battle with drug addiction - The Guardian [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Hedonism and healing - Independent Online [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Katamama review: Craft cocktails, hipster coffee and haute tapas at Bali's coolest new hotel - The Independent [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Rainbow Serpent turns 20: a weekend of boundless hedonism - Mixmag [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Lady Gaga jumps off edge - University of Virginia The Cavalier Daily [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Black Wave review: From hedonism to the apocalypse - Irish Times [Last Updated On: February 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 11th, 2017]
- 'Dream Boat': Love Comes In All Shapes And Sizes In This Candid Berlinale Documentary Set On A Gay Cruise Ship - moviepilot.com [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]
- Feminism, ambition, hedonism: drama explores lives of university's privileged - The Guardian [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]
- Leftism: From Bloody Tragedy to Therapeutic Parody - FrontPage Magazine [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2017]
- Science: How to Get into the "Flow" and Do What Makes You Happiest - Big Think [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2017]
- Now We Are 40 by Tiffanie Darke review a generation lost to hedonism and irony? - The Guardian [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2017]
- Chefs to Watch for 2017 - Hedonism II, Negril - Jamaica Observer [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2017]
- Style, romance win in 'Man of Mode' at UNCSA - Winston-Salem Journal [Last Updated On: February 18th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 18th, 2017]
- Chefs to Watch for 2017 - Hedonism II, Negril - Food ... - Jamaica Observer [Last Updated On: February 19th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 19th, 2017]
- Berlin Syndrome - The Upcoming [Last Updated On: February 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 20th, 2017]
- Tears in the Club - PopMatters [Last Updated On: February 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 20th, 2017]
- Pleasures: the desert of life - Tulsa World [Last Updated On: February 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 22nd, 2017]
- Living Like a Hedonist - Daily Trojan Online [Last Updated On: February 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 22nd, 2017]
- When did Britain stop being a nation of hedonists? - The Guardian [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2017]
- How dirty do you like it? Revel in hedonism with You Pull It, the new EP from The Byzantines - Happy [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2017]
- What is Hedonism wines? Mayfair vendor owned by Russian exile counts Jose Mourinho among its clientele and ... - The Sun [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2017]
- Claudio Ranieri: Look around the wine shop where Leicester boss ... - Daily Star [Last Updated On: February 25th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 25th, 2017]
- Pastor's column: Hedonism: Self-driven life of pleasure - Gridley Herald [Last Updated On: February 25th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 25th, 2017]
- The Gooch Palms are a handful of hedonism - Mandurah Mail [Last Updated On: March 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 7th, 2017]
- Jose Cuervo's Apocalyptic Vision Encourages Hedonism 03/08/2017 - MediaPost Communications [Last Updated On: March 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 7th, 2017]
- Tove Lo review pop's queen of candour bares more than just her ... - The Guardian [Last Updated On: March 19th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 19th, 2017]
- Joey LaBeija's 'Violator' EP Will Bring Hedonism to Dead NYC Club ... - Out Magazine [Last Updated On: March 19th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 19th, 2017]
- A remembrance of Spring Weekends past at SUNY-New Paltz - Hudson Valley One [Last Updated On: March 21st, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 21st, 2017]
- Nothstine: Navigating the campus sexual assault crisis - North State Journal (subscription) [Last Updated On: March 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 23rd, 2017]
- Art house horror film 'Raw' is an impressive directorial debut by Julia Ducournau - Washington Post [Last Updated On: March 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 23rd, 2017]
- A celebration of The Streets' 'Original Pirate Material' on its 15th birthday - NME.com (blog) [Last Updated On: March 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 23rd, 2017]
- Elite Dance & Theatre presents 'Dorian Gray' - Albuquerque Journal [Last Updated On: March 27th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 27th, 2017]
- Watch: Samantha Bee lends a hand to New Jersey newspaper with ... - Philly.com (blog) [Last Updated On: March 27th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 27th, 2017]
- Here's a look-see at some of my -isms - Fairfield Daily Republic [Last Updated On: March 27th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 27th, 2017]
- Unthinkable: In defence of hedonism - Irish Times [Last Updated On: March 27th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 27th, 2017]
- From Greece, Suntan Takes on the Madness of Old Schlubs Pursuing Young Beauties - Houston Press [Last Updated On: March 29th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 29th, 2017]
- Steppingstones - The Gleaner [Last Updated On: March 29th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 29th, 2017]
- Burgers, Not Boobs: Carl's Jr. Brilliantly Flips the Script by Tearing Down Its Own Smutty Ads - Adweek [Last Updated On: March 29th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 29th, 2017]
- Put on your party shoes it's time for political hedonism - The Guardian [Last Updated On: March 29th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 29th, 2017]