Agnès Varda
On March 29, French director and "grandmother of the New Wave" Agnès Varda died in Paris at the age of 90. When people think of her, the first thing that comes to mind is her film influence; in fact, her achievements in photography and installation art should not be underestimated.
The great director, who won the Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement and the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, has brought countless excellent works to the world with his unique female perspective and frank ghostly character. Her death caught people off guard. Since then, there has been one less interesting, talented and cute mushroom-headed old girl in the world.
Agnès Varda filming
Between light and shadow
At the age of 26, Agnès Varda, who had no experience in filmmaking and had even seen a handful of films, borrowed money to raise money for his debut film, La Pointe Courte, with the encouragement of the French director Alan Resnais.
Agnès Varda, The Affair of the Short Horn, 1954
She stumbled upon Faulkner's novel Wild Palms, which translated the chapter arrangement technique into a two-line narrative technique that she applied to Short Horns. The unique narrative form and low-cost production method make the work regarded as a precursor to the New Wave of French cinema.
Since then, she has directed a number of feature films with female themes. Through its unique female perspective and delicate portrayal techniques, the work truly reflects the current situation of women's existence in society.
Agnès Varda, Cleo at Five to Seven, 1962
In her films, female characters are not just objects of gaze, but also try to be the center of the world. This tension in portraying female characters is particularly prominent in her two well-known works, Cléo de 5 à 7 (5 à 7) and Sans toit ni loi (The Fallen Woman).
In cleo at Five to Seven, the director portrays the psychological state of the beautiful pop singer Cléo Victoire on the verge of collapse while waiting for a cancer report. This film truly shows the crisis of women's identity in a patriarchal society, while actively exploring women's self-worth and the meaning of existence.
Agnès Varda, The Fallen Woman, 1985
In another work, "The Fallen Woman at the End of the World", the director injects a living soul under the beautiful shell of the woman through the portrayal of the character details and the design of the plot, combined with the complex and exquisite acting skills of the actors, the whole picture of the character is fully displayed in front of the audience.
The characters pieced together from the minutiae of his population all throw a question: What is the true self of a woman?
In the early 1990s, Agnes Varda's husband, French director Jacques Demy, fell ill with AIDS. As her husband was about to die, Agnès Varda created the film Jacquôt de Nantes, which restored childhood memories to him, while also capturing the voice of his beloved in the image.
Agnès Varda with husband Jacques Demi
Agnès Varda wanted to perfectly restore her lover's childhood time that she had not accompanied him. So during the filming process, she always repeatedly confirmed with her husband, is this the case? Could it be a mistake? I am afraid that my shooting will deviate from my lover's childhood memories.
Agnès Varda, Jacques Demi of Nantes, during filming
In 2017, Agnès Varda co-produced the documentary Visages villages with French street artist JR. In the film, they drive a small truck through a small French village and visit ordinary people they meet along the way, including postmen, workers, farmers and so on.
The two artists printed huge portraits of small people on the walls as a way to resist the impeccable beauty of the commercials. They hope to convey the idea that every soul deserves to be respected, so that the audience can feel the diligence, enthusiasm and friendliness of these ordinary people through the lens.
Agnès Varda, Faces, Villages, 2017
Installation art
In addition to photography, Agnès Varda, who likes to try new things, has also dabbled in installation art. She is best known for her work Patatutopia at the 2003 Venice Biennale.
Agnès Varda, Potato Utopia, 2003
Potato Utopia consists of an electronic screen and 700 pounds of potatoes placed on the ground. In the center of the screen is a heart-shaped potato with a long bud, and on both sides are images of sprouting and dry potatoes that are playing. The artist uses the aging process of potatoes as a metaphor for his own aging.
Agnès Varda", "The Beach"
Another installation, The Beach, is also composed of photographs, images and objects. The background of the work is a photograph of a hanging wave, the lower part of the photo shows the real image of the waves, and the periphery is composed of real sand. The artist funfully blends the three forms together to give the viewer a unique sensory experience.
Agnès Varda, The Widow of Nuwamtier, 2005
Les Veuves de Noirmoutier (The Widow of Nowamtier) is based on the artist's reflection on the identity label of "widow": How do women face the departure of those closest to them?
The device consists of 14 small screens that play simultaneously. On the screen, widows from the island of Nuwamtiya each tell their stories. Each screen is connected to a separate headset to play their voices. By listening to one-on-one monologues, the audience can delve deeper into the inner world of these women who have lost loved ones.
Agnès Varda, The Tomb of Tsugug, 2006
In daily life, Agnès Varda is also an out-and-out "cat slave", after the death of the cat Zgougou, the artist used shells to build a grave for the cat and made an installation to commemorate the "family" who brought infinite joy in her life.
At the same time, she also put the installation artwork "Ping Pong, Flip-Flops and Camping Camp" composed of flip-flops, small shovels and brightly colored plastic buckets into the art museum, which is full of the childlike fun of summer beach play.
Agnès Varda, "Ping Pong, Flip-Flops and Camping Camps"
Chinese memory
Agnès Varda specializes not only in film and installation, but also as a photographic artist. As early as 1957, she was invited to visit China, and many precious memories of the times have been preserved in her works.
Agnès Varda was invited to visit China
During Agnès Varda's visit to China
During her visit to China, Agnès Varda was pregnant, and the presence of a small life in her womb awakened the tenderness of her motherhood. Therefore, she used the camera to record many Chinese children, these children wearing tiger hats have inspired the artist to look forward to a new life?
Photographed by Agnès Varda
55 years later, 83-year-old Agnès Varda returned to China with a series of photographs from Shattered Portraits. Although she has passed her old age, her grandmother is still active in the art circle, making people feel that the years seem to be particularly kind to her.
Agnès Varda, Couple, 2009
Agnès Varda selfie
The death of Agnès Varda takes away an era that leaves people with more than regret and regret. This "little girl" who does not seem to grow old really leaves us forever this time, but her childlike innocence and curiosity, and her sincerity and affection for everything in the world will always exist.
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[Editor, text/Li Tianyi]
[This article was originally produced by Harper's Bazaar Art Department and may not be reproduced without permission]