MARC GARANGER IN SOME/THINGS MAGAZINE CHAPTER004

MONIKA BIELSKYTE / HOW DID PHOTOGRAPHY ENTER YOUR LIFE?

MARC GARANGER / I WENT TO A BOARDING SCHOOL IN DREUX AT THE AGE OF 10-12. I WAS A STUTTERER & ALL THE CHILDREN IN THE CLASS LAUGHED AT ME SO THE PROFESSOR SAID 'SINCE YOU CANNOT SPEAK, YOU WILL HAVE TO WRITE WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY ON A SLATE & LIFT IT ABOVE YOUR HEAD.' I WAS THUS LOCKED IN A TOTAL SILENCE FOR ALMOST A YEAR. I THINK, AFTER MANY YEARS, IF A SENSE IS BLOCKED, ANOTHER OVER-DEVELOPS AUTOMATICALLY. I VERY QUICKLY EXPRESSED MYSELF WITH MY EYE, & I STARTED AT ONCE TO PHOTOGRAPH. FIRST WITH MY PARENTS’ 6X9 FOLDING CAMERA &, SINCE 1951, WITH A STANDARD LEICA.

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MB / WHEN DID YOU START TAKING ALGERIAN WOMEN’S PORTRAITS?

MG / IT WAS THE END OF THE WAR & THE OFFICERS SAID 'WE'VE WON! WE'VE ENTERED THE PHASE OF PACIFICATION.' THIS CONSISTED OF THE ARMY RAZING THE DOUARS [TENT VILLAGE] OF THE FELLAGHA & FORCING THEM TO REBUILD THEIR MECHTA [SMALL VILLAGE, HOME] AROUND THE FRENCH MILITARY POSTS. THE CAPTAIN THEN SAID, ‘WE NEED ALL THESE PEOPLE TO HAVE IDENTIFICATION CARDS.’ HE CAME TO ME AT THE SECRETARIAT, & SAID ‘GARANGER WILL DO THE PHOTOS.’ IN 10 DAYS I PHOTOGRAPHED NEARLY 2000 PEOPLE, MOSTLY WOMEN, AT THE RATE OF 200 PER DAY. IT WAS THE FACES OF WOMEN WHICH IMPRESSED ME A LOT. THEY HAD NO CHOICE. THEY WERE OBLIGED TO UNVEIL & BE PHOTOGRAPHED. THEY HAD TO SIT ON A STOOL IN THE OPEN AIR IN FRONT OF A WHITE MECHTA WALL. I GOT THEIR EYES AT CLOSE RANGE, THE FIRST WITNESS OF THEIR SILENT & VIOLENT PROTEST. I WANTED TO GIVE THEM THE CHANCE TO TESTIFY.

MB / WHAT WAS AT THE CORE OF YOUR INTEREST? WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO SHOOT THESE WOMEN— CURIOSITY, A CERTAIN AFFECTION, A DESIRE TO UNDERSTAND, TO DOCUMENT AN ERA?

MG / THE FIRST EXHIBITION OF THESE PHOTOGRAPHS WAS WHEN I LINED UP THE PASSPORT PHOTOS, TAKEN IN 4X4 CM, STAPLED IN 6 COPIES IN THE MASTER'S OFFICE AT AUMALE [SOUR EL GHOZLANE, NOW], SOME DAYS AFTER THE FIRST SERIES OF SHOTS. THE CAPTAIN, AFTER DISCOVERING THE PHOTOGRAPHS, STIRRED UP THE OFFICERS SHOUTING ‘COME SEE HOW UGLY THEY ARE! COME SEE THESE MONKEYS, THEY LOOK LIKE MONKEYS!’ FROM THAT MOMENT, I TOLD MYSELF ‘I WILL ONE DAY SAY OF THESE PHOTOS THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT I HAD HEARD.’ I THOUGHT ABOUT THE EDWARD CURTIS PHOTOGRAPHS OF AMERICAN INDIANS MADE AT THE BEGINNING OF LAST CENTURY. I TOLD MYSELF THAT I OUGHT TO BRING DIGNITY TO THIS NATION THAT FRANCE DESPISED. I DID NOT DO PASSPORT PHOTOS; I PUT THE PICTURES UNDER THE ENLARGER, FOCUSING ON THEIR FACES.

EXCERPT FROM AN INTERVIEW WITH MARC GARANGER IN SOME/THINGS MAGAZINE CHAPTER004 / THE WINGS OF A LOCUST