titles, which consist of the subjects’ initials, because
they likewise reveal only a part of the model’s iden-
tity (such asP.G., 1992). In the 1996–1997 series
Corps et Veˆtements, the body is represented by a
single position, such as sitting cross-legged (CDD I,
1996) or even by a pile of clothes dated with a day of
the week (LundiandJeudi, 1997). Tosani always
shoots against a white background to further
enhance the distance relationships and allow the
shift of the object or the body from its daily envir-
onment to Tosani’s own space and imagination.
Tosani’s body pictures refer to a fragmentation
that seems linked to the inability to establish iden-
tity. In his seriesLes masques(Masks), 1999–2004,
he twisted articles of clothing such as bermuda
shorts and pants and stiffened them with glue in
order to transform them into masks: the clothes are
photographed from the inside, laid down on the
ground or on a base, with the crotch of the pants
delimiting the space for the nose, legs represent
eyes, and so on. Featuring patterns of color, these
masks seem to be ready to be used in a Commedia
dell’Arte play.
ThomasCyril
Seealso: Conceptual Photography; Photography
in FranceBiography
Patrick Tosani was born in 1954 at Boissy-l’Aillerie. Bet-
ween 1973 at 1979, he studied architecture in Paris. He
resides and works in Paris.Individual Exhibitions
1985 Patrick Tosani, Portrait; Galerie Liliane et Michel
Durand-Dessert, Paris, France
1986 Patrick Tosani; Takagi Gallery, Nagoya, Japan
1987 Patrick Tosani; Institute of Contemporary Arts, Lon-
don, England
1988 Patrick Tosani; Muse ́ede ́partemental d’art contem-
porain, Rochechouart, France
1990 PatrickTosani;GalerieReckermann,Cologne,GermanyPatrick Tosani, Le Marcheur, 1982–1983, Photo: Philippe Migeat.
[CNAC/MNAM/Dist. Re ́union des Muse ́es Nationaux Art Resource, New York. Reproduced
with permission of the artist]
TOSANI, PATRICK