Delpire & Co.

As part of our sixtieth anniversary celebration, Aperture Foundation, in collaboration with our partners, presents the exhibition Delpire & Co., featuring a half century of achievement in the life and career of visionary French publisher, editor, and curator Robert Delpire.

Over the past sixty years, the eyes and instincts of Robert Delpire have shaped much of the world’s understanding of photography. A prolific publisher and exhibition organizer, with a razor-sharp comprehension of the graphic arts, Delpire has had a defining hand in the careers of many of the master photographers of recent history.

Delpire & Co. (Delpire et Cie, in the original French) was one of the highlights of the Rencontres d’Arles, France, in summer 2009, and was subsequently given a major presentation at la Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Paris, from October 2009 to January 2010 with the continued support of the Fondation d’entreprise Hermès.

The exhibition showcases Delpire’s rise to prominence in the world of photography through his pioneering and seminal work in magazine and book publishing, films, curatorship, and advertising for the past fifty years.

Delpire & Co. is divided among four venues, creating altogether a comprehensive exhibition on Delpire’s many initiatives. Howard Greenberg Gallery and Pace/MacGill Gallery also have exhibitions concurrently on view in celebration of Robert Delpire’s life and work.

Aperture Gallery
Presenting classical and seminal publications by now-iconic photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, William Klein, Robert Frank, Josef Koudelka, and Sarah Moon. Delpire’s work with magazines is also featured, including the very first issue of Neuf from 1950 and the seven issues of Nouvel Observateur Spécial Photo. Also presented in this space are Delpire’s advertising projects for diverse clients from Cacharel, Citroën, L’Oréal, and the French Ministry of Culture.

The Gallery at Hermès/Fondation d’entreprise Hermès
691 Madison Ave.
New York, NY
(212) 751-3181
Exhibition on view: May 11–July 19, 2012
The Gallery at Hermès, a space dedicated exclusively to photography, will present prints from more contemporary photographers such as Harry Gruyaert, Jehsong Baak, Michel Vanden Eeckhoudt, Michael Ackerman, Francesco Zizola, Raymond Depardon, Robert Doisneau, Paolo Pellegrin, and Marc Riboud. Their books will also be on display so that the visitors can engage further with these photographers’ bodies of work. This space will also showcase the groundbreaking Photo Poche series.

Cultural Services of the French Embassy
972 Fifth Ave.
New York, NY
Exhibition on view: May 11–June 8, 2012
Cultural Services of the French Embassy will present Delpire’s children’s books, including the original French edition of Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are and Crocodile Tears by André François. These publications have entertained several generations of children since the 1950s until now.

La Maison Française of New York University
16 Washington Mews (at University Place)
New York, NY; (212) 998-8750
Opening reception: Friday, May 18, 6:00–8:00 pm
Exhibition on view: May 21–July 19, 2012
La Maison Française will showcase the Poche Illustrateur series, celebrating notable illustrators such as Roman Cieślewicz, Honoré Daumier, Etienne Delessert, André François, J. J. Grandville, Guy Peellaert, and Saul Steinberg.

Supporting exhibitions:
Howard Greenberg Gallery
41 E. 57th St.
New York, NY
Opening reception: May 10, 6:00–8:00 pm
Exhibition on view: May 11–June 16, 2012
Sarah Moon: Now and Then

Pace/MacGill Gallery
32 E. 57th St., 9th Floor
New York, NY
Opening reception: May 10, 6:00–8:00 pm
Exhibition on view: May 10–June 16, 2012
A Tribute to Robert Delpire: Robert Frank, Lee Friedlander, Josef Koudelka, Duane Michals, and Paolo Roversi