CHÉROUX (Clément) — Fautographie: A Brief History of Photogr - Lot 59

CHÉROUX (Clément) — Fautographie: A Brief History of Photographic Error Crisnée, Yellow Now, “Côté photo” series, 2003 [printed/published in late 2002 according to some sources]. Small 8vo, 183 pp., paperback, illustrated cover, numerous black-and-white and color photographic reproductions. ISBN 2-87340-173-7 / 978-2-87340-173-3. The BnF accurately describes the work under this colation and date. First edition of this now-sought-after essay by Clément Chéroux, devoted not to the masterpieces of photography, but specifically to its failures, accidents, and errors: blurriness, overexposure, development flaws, superimposed images, technical mishaps, appropriations, and other “fautographies.” Chéroux shows how what was initially considered a technical flaw could become an aesthetic technique, particularly within the avant-garde movements. The term “fautography” is associated with Man Ray, but the author traces its manifestations back to the very beginnings of the medium. The illustrations are particularly interesting: anonymous photographs and laboratory rejects appear alongside historical documents and works by artists. Your copy notably features Ben’s collage, “There Are No Failed Photos,” as well as a self-portrait by Alphonse Poitevin from around 1861. Today, it is a minor classic of photographic historiography, both scholarly and deliberately playful. Very good copy, clean cover with only very slight signs of wear; interior is fresh. No significant visible defects.