Chroniques d’un portraitiste, 1986
Gérard Rondeau made dozens of portraits. These women and men are photographed motionless, as if slowly. Rondeau gives them time to get used to his presence and, if possible, to forget its indiscretion. He does not act in the haste of a moment that would be miraculously decisive, or on the fly because that would be too much to simplify the exercise and because a man, whoever he is, definitely does not hold everything together, in an attitude that he must take as characteristic: his face much more interesting and instructive in moments of latency and uncertainty, of expectation and rest. Therefore, Rondeau’s subjects most often present themselves in a position which requires at least a few moments of immobility, seated, leaning against a piece of furniture or a wall. Or still standing, arms crossed or at your side as if they were witnessing the event or the speech that decided the gestures that will break their fragile immobility – but it will be the next moment, the one that we do not will not see and Rondeau probably will not photograph.
Philippe Dagen
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