DUNCAN (David Douglas). - Lot 93

DUNCAN (David Douglas). Prismatiques. Exploration of a New World: Paris. Paris, Chêne, [circa 1972]. Large quarto, publisher’s hardcover with a color-illustrated dust jacket, lavishly illustrated with color photographs. French first edition of one of the most unique works by David Douglas Duncan (1916–2018), the renowned American photojournalist for *Life* and close friend of Pablo Picasso. After immortalizing the major conflicts of the 20th century—from World War II to the Korean War and the Vietnam War—Duncan embarked on an entirely new endeavor in the early 1970s: exploring the artistic possibilities offered by a lens equipped with prisms and special lenses. Far removed from the traditional photojournalism that made him famous, this book presents a series of kaleidoscopic images taken in Paris, where light, storefronts, terraces, monuments, and works of art fragment into compositions of astonishing chromatic richness. Duncan thus transforms the city into a veritable visual laboratory, blending documentary photography with optical experimentation. The preface sheds light on this approach through several recollections of Picasso, who observed his friend’s experiments with curiosity. In it, Duncan explains how this camera—"equipped with its special lenses and prisms"—allowed him to embark on "the exploration of a new world," completely renewing his perspective after several decades of traditional photography. Due to its experimental nature, this book holds a special place in Duncan’s bibliography. Rarer than his major war reportages or his books devoted to Picasso, it bears witness to a lesser-known but particularly innovative creative period in his career. Condition: A fine copy. The illustrated dust jacket shows some creases, scuffs, and minor repairs to the protective film, with slight wear to the head and foot caps and corners, as visible in the photographs. The interior is fresh, clean, and well-preserved.