Ari Marcopoulos: Beware | Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris
Ari Marcopoulos, Smith Grind, New-York, 1995 © Ari Marcopoulos. Courtesy de l’artiste et galerie frank elbaz, Paris
Written by Trip Avis
Carte Blanche for Ari Marcopoulos, Beware
Sports, like fashion trends or music genres, come in and out of vogue. In some cases, they gain new prestige as mainstream culture shifts. Skateboarding, a dry land equivalency borne of the shaggy-haired surfers of SoCal, is having its day in the sun. Once a counterculture pastime, skateboarding has made a long journey to being featured in the Olympics, arguably the ultimate stamp of approval in the sporting world. The sport popularized by the Lords of Dogtown is going Francophile with Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris’ exhibition Carte Blanche for Ari Marcopoulos, Beware, which celebrates the artist’s dedication to capturing the sport on the eve of its official recognition in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Skateboarding and modern art may seem mutually exclusive. Still, the exhibition also seeks to capitalize on the unexpected symbiotic relationship between Parisian skaters and the esplanade of the Palais de Tokyo, known as ‘Le Dôme.’
Ari Marcopoulos, Across from Burger King,1993, C-print, 25.4 x 20.3 cm. Courtesy de l’artiste et de la galerie frank elbaz, Paris
Ari Marcopoulos, Brown Bag, 1994 /2020, Film 8 mm en noir et blanc, sonore 7'21'', Paris Musées / Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris
This is not the only symbiosis—Ari Marcopoulos sieves through the museum’s collection and draws illuminating connections between his photography and beguiling works by the likes of Brassaï, César, and Isa Genzken: “When the museum suggested I go through their vast collection and choose works to be shown along with my work, I recognized that similar sort of rediscovery that I found with my film [Brown Bag, 1994/2020] was possible [...] I looked for themes related to the body, injuries, and architecture along with what I saw as challenging and puzzling works.” Marcopoulos’s work, much like the skater community he lovingly documents, exudes a timeless quality; the images from the 1990s remain fresh and relevant. Buoyancy and comradery abound when people get together to do something they mutually enjoy; this is evident in photographs like Across from Burger King (1993). It depicts teenage boys gathered on a metropolitan street corner, posting up with their boards. Their collective attention is diverted to something other than Marcopoulos’ camera—perhaps they are spectating an unseen friend who just wiped out. The colorful bottoms of their skateboards are scuffed from hours spent doing what they love.
Ari Marcopoulos, Harold Hunter, 1995, Impression gélatino-argentique, 35.6 x 27.9 cm. Courtesy de l’artiste et de la galerie frank elbaz, Paris
There is an artistry to skating, like any sport. Time devoted to sweat, blood, and skinned knees breeds a level of perfection that lifts skating to high art. Deeply ensconced in the skating scene for many years, it is no surprise that Marcopoulos sees this hidden artistry: “So much of my work is about finding things. My eyes and mind are always open to what is around me — curiosity and passion pushing me to deeply engage me in the world.” Harold Hunter (1995) has an unintentional beauty, resembling images of ballerinas pirouetting and leaping above the stage, graceful and precise as swans. Captured mid-air, the skater floats above the pavement. Separate from his sneakers, his board fuses with his frenetic energy, hanging beneath him in this frozen moment. It becomes a fluid extension of his body, as commonplace as an arm or leg. He is perfectly posed above the white turning arrow, hitting his mark like an actor; it is the epitome of the right place at the right time.
