Gérard Rancinan

Gerard Rancinan is a French artist born in 1953.

Through his "Trilogy of the Modern", he gives himself the role of an observer of his contemporaries. This particular gaze drives him to do “field work" or to work on sets that are veritable simulacra of our world.

Internationally famous, Gerard Rancinan's work is exhibited today in the most prestigious international galleries and museums and is part of major collections of contemporary art.

With the occasion of an auction for the “Etude Million" at Drouot (2008), Gerard Rancinan became one of the best rated French photographers. He has also been named Chevalier of Arts and Letters by the French Government.

Gerard Rancinan's work is unique. It holds a special place in the world of the photography; photography is a discipline that became for Rancinan his life, his means of expression and his lifelong commitment. But his art doesn't come from a reflex. It is an instrument of thought, a gaze on our times, a body of work recognized by the contemporary art world. This way, Rancinan is taking his distance from conventional photography and takes a unique direction, though he is not the only artist to take it.

If these photographs are inspired by the reality of our world, they are not mere representations, they are poetic invitations, fragments of an enlightened vision of our time. He has classical sources of inspiration - from Velasquez to Géricault- combined with the influence of meeting artists such as Bob Rauschenberg or Paul Mc Carthy; all these gave birth to some kind of premeditated photographic acts of which Rancinan holds the secret.

Entering this surprising universe means accepting to take risks, to discover something else, to look elsewhere when the whole world is looking in the same direction. Each of Rancinan's photographs is like a gunshot, escaping any effect of style. Each of his shows is a troubling experience, from which we never get out never unscathed, but always stronger.