about his work with him. although we could spend all night talking about (iiacometti. about paintings and painters. and among that he could tell you about his own work. It was never direct.
‘I spent a few weeks in his office looking at his archives for my book. I was the lirst one to be allowed to look into his personal archives. his very personal archives. But to understand the relationship between him and me you have to know that he was a player: he used to seduce
people and play with them — it was like a game. Sometimes it was a perverted game. He could be like that with people. Not very often with me. but at the end.
‘I was not investigating the book any more. but writing it and it was very late. around midnight. He called me at my home and said. "A l‘riend of ours has just told me that you're writing a hook about me. I didn‘t know." I said. "Of course. come one. don‘t he stupid." And he said. "You know I hate that. ll‘ you write this
‘HIS MAIN MOTIVATION WAS TO LIVE - IT'S A WAY TO TALK TO PEOPLE, TO BREATHE WITH OTHER PEOPLE, TO LOOK AT THEM, TO BE WITH THEM'
book you will kill me. ll' you publish it. it would kill me." And I said. “Don't be stupid." He said. "ll. you want to write it you can. il‘ you want to publish it one day you can. but if you publish it now you will kill me." Well. I was
just linishing it. it was to be published just four
months alter. So. I was very. very sad and angry. but his wile called me and said. “You know he likes to be like that. It‘s a game. don't worry. Write it. don‘t worry." .lust below it was published. he read it in Switzerland and there were very few things he picked up. Afterwards. when I brought him the lirst copy ol~ the book he was very moved and he stood up and took me into his arms and he kissed me. and he said with a very big smile. “Know that you have made my portrait. and I‘m going to make your portrait." But he didn't. he lot‘gol.
‘lt's dil‘licult to say what made him such an incredible photographer. He met his century. It was a century of the picture: it was the century of the l.eica he was born as a reporter in the same year as the l.eica was born so it's like the Leica has been invented for him. It‘s very important.
‘llis main motivation was to live. It was a way ol‘ Me. And when I say a way (ii We. it was not only a way of travelling. it’s a way to talk to people. to breathe with other people. to look at them. to be with them. You know. the technical aspect of taking pictures was not important to him. He just was concerned with the way you look at people. events. countries. at everything. .\'ever l‘orget that he was a painter. at first. He became a photographer when he was visiting mtiseums — the Louvre. mainly. The only university he went to was a painters' academy for three years. but I can't say that that’s where he learnt photography. it was more a way to look at the world.
’ll' you look at his photographs. you can see he took pictures ol‘ everything. You can see he took portraits. landscapes. revolutions. wars sometimes. lite and death and. let’s say. he wanted to show how lite and death can be spectacular. But he was very straight with his photographs. llis pictures were never a joke. they were always very straight. There could be a smile. of course. but it was not an anecdote. He was very obsessed with their composition -~ he had a geometric conception of the world. It was a natural composition. but never l‘or l‘un. Sometimes he was commissioned by l'uguv magazine to tell a story and he did it: then he had a journalist‘s mind he told a story from the beginning to the end.
‘I wouldn't say he was sociable. He could go to a lot of parties. but alter a while. he was not very happy to be there and he used to quit everything and everybody very suddenly.
"l‘hc camera was. in some ways. a way of being with people and staying by himself. I think he loved solitude.‘
Henri Cartier-Bresson, The Dean Gallery, Sat 6 Aug-Sun 23 Oct; Henri Cartier- Bresson by Pierre Assouline is published by Thames 8: Hudson. The author will be talking at the Weston Link, 6 Aug, 12.45-1.30pm, free.
‘ ‘~ Asa . THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE 69