Dave Heath: Dialogues with Solitudes

From September 14 to December 23, 2018 Le Bal presents the first mayor exhibition dedicated to Dave Heath in France. Heath holds a unique place in the history of American photography. Influenced by Eugene W. Smith and the masters of the Chicago school including Aaron Siskind and Harry Callahan, he cannot be considered as a documentary nor an experimental photographer. His work is above all a testimony of his presence in the world, recognizing in the other an alter ego immersed in his inner turmoil. In the 1950s, he became one of the first photographers to radically express the feelings of alienation and isolation which are inherent to the modern times.
His series, produced between 1959 and 1961 in Washington Square, depict perfectly the tension between the individual who has lost himself, the tumultuous American streets and the tensions resulting from a time of doubt in American History. A Dialogue With Solitude, published in 1965, stands out as one of the most controversial books of the decade.
The exhibition brings together around 150 contemporary prints and original maquettes.