Vali Myers and dance partner, Paris, 1950 ca.
silver gelatin print, analogue barite print on Ilford neutral tone paper
Paper: 50 x 60 cm
Edition of 20
From Ed van der Elsken’s book ‘Love on the left bank’ (1956)
One of the preeminent documentary photographers of the 20th century, Ed van der Elsken’s work is highly subjective, portraying striking individuals he encountered on his travels and documenting his own life and that of his surroundings. His approach was confrontational, embracing the bright as well as the darker sides of human life. The unconventional technique and the gritty snapshot-like quality of his work have been of great importance in the development of contemporary photography.
Van der Elsken rose to worldwide fame with the first of his many books of photographs, Love on the Left Bank (1954), for which he followed his muse Vali Myers,a bohemian, around Paris, depicting her life in the streets, bars, cafes, and clubs.
