In 1987, Bernard Faucon discovered Asia and,
thrilled by the golden light of gods and temples,
createdLes Chambres d’Or(1987–1989). Gold leaf
applied to walls, landscapes, and bodies sublimates
and transforms a reality in which material and spi-
ritual, oriental and occidental, clash violently.
Then followed a more radical series,Les idoles
et les sacrifices(1989–1991), which juxtaposes 12
portraits of adolescents transfixed in a golden light
with a series of 12 landscapes crossed with a blood-
red wound.
Bernard Faucon first showed his work at the
Yvon Lambert gallery in Paris, at a moment when
the Espace Photographique de Paris was also exhi-
biting a retrospective of his work. He published se-
veral books at that time, notably in Japan, and
began to travel in Asia and the Middle East.
Les Ecritures(1991–1993), phrases inscribed in
the landscape, marked a real turning point in his
work. For the series, he wrote text by hand, en-
larged it, produced the letters in plywood, covered
the letters with reflective tape, then installed them
in spaces he had chosen. Artificial lighting revealed
the text. But Bernard Faucon created not installa-
tions, but photographs. Although his work could
easily be categorized within the field of contem-
porary art installations, he remained faithful to
Fresson prints, whose largest formats do not sur-
pass 6060 cm. After having inscribed the words
in the landscape, he then started inscribing them
onto bodies, even onto skin itself.
Alastseries,entitledLafindel’image(1993–1995),
marked the end of his photographic activity. Fifty-
one small-format photographs framed in black
unfold like a film. On each, one can read short
phrases: ‘‘tout pour un baiser et la vie avec,’’ ‘‘tu me
caches le monde,’’ ‘‘j’e ́tais aime ́’’ (all for a kiss and life
with it; you hide the world from me; I was loved)...
andonthelast,simplytheword‘‘fin’’(end)appeared.
In 1997, Bernard Faucon decided to suspend
production of his photographic images. Conscious
of having said everything he could with the med-
ium, he thus turned toward writing. ‘‘Even the
greatest do not know how to stop time,’’ he asserts.
‘‘Either I regenerate myself dramatically, or I go
on to something else. One thing is certain, the
history of the image is coming to an end (in an
interview with Michel Guerrin,Le Monde, June
10, 1995).’’
From 1997 to 2000, he developed a vast project
in 20 countries, entitledLe plus beau jour de ma
jeunesse.Aided by a young writer, Antonin Po-
toski, he invited 100 young people in each country,
armed with instant cameras, to a party, and asked
them to photograph those they loved and moments
of happiness. Selected by and then shown for the
first time together at the Maison Europe ́enne de la
Photographie, Paris, in November 2000, these ima-
ges toured the world, accompanied by a book
about the project. In 1999, he published his first col-
lection of texts without images,La peur du voyage.
JEAN-LUCMONTEROSSOSeealso:Constructed Reality; Photography in Eur-
ope: FranceBiography
Born in Apt in Provence, September 12, 1950. Educated at the
Lyce ́e d’Apt, 1962–1969. Studied at the Sorbonne, Paris,
1969–1973. Master’s Degree in Philosophy, 1973. Painter
from 1966 to 1976. Photographic settings since 1977. Recipi-
ent: Prix du premier livre de photo de la Ville de Paris, 1979;
Grand Prix National, 1989; Prix Le ́onard de Vinci, 1991.Individual Exhibitions
1977 Galerie Lop Lop, Paris, France
Fotomania, Barcelona, Spain
1979 Galerie Agathe Gaillard, Paris, France
Castelli Graphics, New York, New York
1980 GalerieVenster,MuseumofRotterdam,TheNetherlands
Galerie Canon, Geneva, Switzerland
1981 Galerie Junod, Lausanne, Switzerland
1982 Centre Georges Pompidou, ‘‘In situ,’’ Paris, France
1983 Espace Nic ̧ ois d’art et de culture, ‘‘Peindre et photo-
graphier,’’ Nice, France
1984 Nouveau Muse ́e, Villeurbanne, Lyon, France
1985 Muse ́e Nice ́phore Nie ́pce, Chalon-sur-Saoˆ ne, France
1986 Houston Center for Photography, Houston, Texas
1988 Espace Photo de la Ville de Paris, ‘‘Re ́trospective,’’
Paris, France
Interform Gallery, Osaka, Japan
Maison Descartes, ‘‘Retrospective,’’ Amsterdam, The
Netherlands
1989 Zeit Foto Salon, Tokyo, Japan
Centre Fotografic Visor, Valencia, Spain
1990 Duta Fine Arts Foundation, Jakarta, Indonesia
Institut Franc ̧ ais, Freiburg, Germany
1993 Aberdeen Art Gallery, Aberdeen Museum, Aberdeen
Scotland
1994 Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London, England
1995 Nun Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
1996 The Photographers’ Gallery, London, England
1998 Casa del Cultura Nuevo Leon, Monterrey, Mexico
Le plus beau paysage du monde; Institut Franc ̧ ais de
Marrakech, Marrakech, Morocco, and traveling
1999 La feˆte des anges; Gallery of Silpakorn University,
Bangkok, Thailand
La Isla mas querida del mundo; Centro Wifredo Lam,
Havana, Cuba
Le plus beau cre ́puscule....; Stadt Museum, Go ̈teburg,
Sweden
La plus belle promenade...; Kunstverein, Heidelberg,
Germany
2000 The Bernard Faucon Collection; Utsunomiya Museum
of Art, JapanFAUCON, BERNARD