JR ~

Through his oversized photographed portraits and the unique context they inhabit; artist JR challenges the publics perspective in political and social matters.JR is a world known photographer for creating the biggest gallery in the world to show his work, the streets. His photographs are displayed in huge scales in the exterior walls of buildings, in garbage trucks, train carts, any many more unusual surfaces for his particular exposition. Through his images he empowers individuals by taking close-ups that capture the essence of a look, a laugh. The is also a sense of social collectiveness in the way he arranges his images; by positioning them next to the other he gives each of the faces a presence but still keeping then part of a whole. The body of image for each of his projects is a response to a social or political issue, and the place or the form in which he exposes them adds controversial humor.

One of his projects is called Wrinkles of the City - it takes place in Shaghai. In this self imposed project he interviews and takes images of elders around the city and exposes large format images of their portraits in walls of abandoned houses, warehouses, etc. His work played with notions of memory and the wrinkles and fragility of it. The images he uses and pastes on the walls slowly degrade themselves, this is a strong metaphor. To my belief this is his way of concerning the public, to acknowledge what is happening, how these people, their traditions, their stories are soon to be forgotten. He believes this is a subject of the people of Shanghai about people in Shanghai, and the message could probably be expanded in a global sphere. - Karla Despradel