Putain de maïeutique Camarguaise !

 
MAIEUTICS (gr. Maieutikê, the art of midwifery).
«In Socratic philosophy, the art of using a series of questions to make someone discover truths that are already present within him.»
 
Born in the Gard, Meyer spent a long time in the South of France before moving to Paris. His years of formation took place there. His ties to the region are organic, familial and familiar. And his knowledge of bull culture, at its furthest extremes, are affective and intuitive. And so it was only natural to accept the invitation of the Contemporary Art Circle of Cailar to do photographic work devoted to the bulls of the Camargue. The result of that collaboration, “Putain de Maïeutique Camarguaise” tries in its own way to modernise the depiction of bull fighting in the Camargue. This exhibit has an original artistic approach, as is usual of Contemorary Art Circle projects. It deals with the cultural and social specifics of a profoundly rooted popular tradition and the characteristics that constitute its unique and ever developing identity. For nothing is immobile, not even bull fights in the Camargue. It is still being enriched by evolving social realities and the arrival of a new generation of players, particularly of young Frenchmen of North African origin, who seem to be a source of problems. That is due to a complex reality. Although they are young citizens of the Camargue, they have retained the culture of their origins. But reality is even richer, and this show insists on the fact that a tradition belongs to those who live it, and to all those who enrich it.
“Putain de Maïeutique Camarguaise” attempts to reconcile depiction and abstraction, to initiate a dialogue in each individual work, whether alone or in association with another, but a dialogue that does not create a sense of opposition between the many forms and aspects of one and the same look. That is a personal choice that is a part of the complicity between the members of the group Tendance Floue. It is less important here to see, than to sense the very essence of bull fighting in the Camargue. Its nature is ephemeral, unique, and like a stage play we peek into the wings and at its very rich margins.
 
Series done during a residence for the Cercle d’Art Contemporain du Cailar
 
More info about the exhibition