Perhaps the most important purpose of art is that of bringing people together. It is to raise awareness with those who share this world with us. The French artist JR, who tries to do just that with his artistic practice, uses the largest museum in the world, the streets.
JR’s artistic engagement began with graffiti. Born in 1983, he goes by the nickname “Face 3”, which he sprayed on the walls and in the subway passages of Paris back in his youth.
After finding a camera in the subway, he took up photography. This completely changed his perspective on the well-known practice of street art. JR was now able to document the works he created himself, as well as those of other artists.
With camera in hand, JR had developed his photographic skills into an experience. This would not only make him known in the eyes of the international art scene. It would also further define his approach to visual expression.
The riots that erupted in the suburbs of Paris in 2004 provided JR with an opportunity to capture the faces of those involved. Most of them were immigrants. The project consisted of publishing these images in larger numbers throughout the city. The close-ups with the background of many current social issues have become the artist’s trademark. In his previous works he has pointed out the problems of equality, freedom and identity.
After attracting attention with his first project, JR moved on. The public’s eye was drawn to some well-known but unnoticed social issues. Most importantly, he photographs using his camera with a 28mm wide-angle lens. JR’s subjects are photographed up close and personal. They reveal the essence of their emotions – the pain, the happiness, the sadness that we have all felt at some point in our lives. They leave nothing behind but the basic character of people with whom we can identify. Moreover, JR speaks a universal language that can be understood on a level that transcends the boundaries of region, nationality, religion, education or age. His large-scale works bring out the fundamental elements of humanity. They connect us, but are usually buried under the cover of social norms.
