Our smartphones have undeniably become the preeminent photographic tool used to document our daily lives, democratizing photography to levels of ubiquity in its simplicity and convenience. But what does smartphone photography look like in the hands of a professional artist tasked to capture images guided by the emotion of nostalgia using only an iPhone 15 Pro Max? I Remember You, a two-day photography exhibition in Le Marais in Paris at the Salon Corderie focuses on the answer.
Photo: BFA/Pierrick Rocher
Photo: BFA/Pierrick Rocher
I Remember You exhibited the original works of five artists on November 10th, each equipped with Apple’s latest and greatest titanium embellished, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and only guided to attempt to answer the questions posed above.
Photo: BFA/Pierrick Rocher
Isolde Brielmaier, PhD and deputy director of the New Museum was the curatorial advisor on the project. During her tenure as the International Center of Photography in New York (ICP) Curator-at-Large, she conceptualized and curated an exhibition whose theme, Inward, lent itself to the use of the iPhone camera. Photo: BFA/Pierrick Rocher
Artists invited to participate include, Malin Fezehai (New York/Nairobi), Karl Hab (Paris), Vivien Liu (Hong Kong), Mika Ninagawa (Tokyo), and Stefan Ruiz (New York) collectively working around the theme of “nostalgia and a stoic empowerment in preserving moments in time just as they’re meant to be remembered.”
Photo: BFA/Pierrick Rocher
With the iPhone Pro Max’s new 5x Telephoto lens, 48 MP resolution, and the camera’s ability to alter the bokeh and focal point after capturing an image, each artist was tasked to approach the theme of memory and emotions with little restraint beyond the camera they were given.
Photo: BFA/Pierrick Rocher
The works on display during the short 2-day exhibition range from portraiture, landscapes, to more abstract explosions of floral color, in sum exhibiting the possibilities of using a smartphone as a selective artistic tool rather than a mere pragmatic option.
Photo: BFA/Pierrick Rocher
Ansel Adams is quoted as saying, “There’s nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept,” a reminder to those enamored by their tools to develop their artistic eye rather than obsess over the technical trappings of their camera gear. I Remember You reinforces Adam’s advice, proving the best camera is the one you have with you.
