John
Coplans
John Coplan is a British artist and photographer, born in 1920 and died in 2003.
He was first a painter, then turned to art criticism activities. He was one of the co-founders in 1962 of the magazine Artforum and was editor-in-chief from 1971 to 1997. He was also director of several museums and curator.
In 1980 he moved to New York where he focused on photography. He is famous for his series of black and white self-portraits, which are fairly raw studies of the naked and aging body.
He photographed his body unadorned, cutting it into sections, from feet to wrinkled hands. The result of thirteen years of work, from 1984 to 1997.
As part of a car festival (portrait), Bel Oeil had the pleasure of organizing an exhibition of works by John Coplans … thanks to the help of the Lelong Gallery in Paris, and the Frac Paca.
It was also an opportunity for us to show some of our collection and our attachment to this great artist, his humble work and humility.
Self Portrait – Hands Spread on Knees, 1985
Photograph – vintage gelatin silver print – image 50 x 61.5 cm
Captioned, dated & signed on the back – No. 11/10+2AP
Self Portrait - Interlocking Fingers #16, 2000
Photograph – vintage gelatin silver print – image 50.8 x 61 cm
Captioned, dated & signed on the back – No. 1/10+2AP
Self Portrait - Cupped hands, 1985
Photograph – vintage gelatin silver print – image 41 x 53 cm
Captioned, dated & signed on the back – No. 3/10+2AP
Self Portrait – Hands Spread Fingers, 1987
Photograph – vintage gelatin silver print – image 50.8 x 61 cm Captioned, dated & signed on the back – No. AP/10+2AP
