A history of photography through the prism of the vinyl record: both media, which left their mark on the 20th century, were combined in all their forms, from artwork to illustration, figuration to experimentation. The show is based on this diversity of intentions and propositions. Many photographers have left their mark on these 30x30-centimeter covers. Looking at an album cover, you can almost hear what you see. Photographers illustrated many classics. Who hasn’t purchased a record based on its cover? The image of Abbey Road has come down through the past half-century just as surely as the Beatles’ music. Some photographers built a style; others built icons. Labels built visual identities where photography mattered more than anything else. Every technique—from photojournalism to photomontage, photo booths, photos used for a purpose other than that for which they were intended, overexposed photos and photos within the photo—can be found in these 30x30-centimeter squares. The deeper you dig, the vaster the subject seems.
Jacques Denis