“I need to live” is spelt out in neon letters in the entrance of the Juergen Teller exhibition at Grand Palais Éphémère in Paris. A title that goes well with the posters that can be seen all around the city: a self-portrait of the photographer reclining languidly in silky pink shorts while holding a bunch of candy-coloured balloons. In the temporary hall, put in place while the gallery is restored, the work of the photographer known for his gritty, humorous and spontaneous style – the British actor Riz Ahmed claimed Teller once shot him in “20 seconds, two clicks” as he sat on an Ikea folding chair under a tree – is a refreshing antidote to the glamorous side of the city outside.
Opened last weekend, the show is the most important yet dedicated to Teller’s work: more than 1,000 pieces, including photographs, films and installations, cover 10,000 sq metres. Some of the pictures on display have become more famous than the man behind them: Victoria Beckham’s legs popping out of a Marc Jacobs bag, a triptych of Vivienne Westwood naked, an equally naked Charlotte Rampling in the middle of the Louvre, Iggy Pop hugging a tree, Björk with her son.
