The facts:
Martine Fougeron: Nicolas & Adrien. A World with Two Sons
Text by Martine Fougeron, Lyle Rexer.
Conversation between Martine Fougeron, Robert A. Schafer, Jr.
Book Design: Martine Fougeron, Gerhard Steidl, Holger Feroudj
264 pages, 159 images
11.75 x 9 in. / 29.7 x 23 cm
Four-color process
Hardcover / Clothbound
US$ 45.00 / € 40.00
ISBN 978-3-95829-685-5
Release Date USA: February 2020
Steidl
I’m familiar with images from Martine Fougeron’s book Teen Tribe. Seeing the those in the context of a much larger body of work in her new book Nicolas et Adrien. A World with Two Sons, it brings a new and revelatory perspective to her work.
Martine describes the book in the preface.
“Nicolas et Adrien. A World with Two Sons is a body of work which I began in New York in 2005 when my sons were fourteen and fifteen, attending the French-language school Lycée Français and living with me in the West Village. The work centers on an individual and family exploration, which deepens over a thirteen-year period.”
“Nicolas et Adrien. A World with Two Sons consists of two books: Teen Tribe (2005–2010) and The Twenties (2010–2018).
“Their lives are ever changing, and my work is evolving with them. It can be apprehended as the depiction of a rite of passage story that also reflects the age and culture of its unique circumstances.”
In Nicolas et Adrien. A World with Two Sons we see her two sons transition through their teen years into their twenties. Because the series runs over such an extended period of time, I wondered what the relationship with her sons is at this point. In an interview at the back of the book, Martine states “Photographing my sons has deepened our understanding and acceptance of each other for life. It is the greatest gift.”
Images and info about the book are below.