The Elements of Fantasy in Martine Franck’s Photography Projects of the 1970s-1990s

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to discover the elements of fantasy in Martine Franck’s documentary photographs, as well as to analyse the completeness, intentionality, and persuasiveness of the created images of illusory existence. The object of the study is the projects of Martine Franck created in the 1970s‐1990s. What contributed to Franck’s creative method was education in art history, the artistic phenomena of the first half of the 20th century, and collaboration with her husband, a prominent figure in documentary photography, co‐founder and ideologist of Magnum Photos, Henri Cartier‐Bresson. Franck’s thematic repertoire is extremely diverse, which provides a sufficient array of images to identify patterns withing the stated research topic using mainly the method of comparative analysis. No other studies on the search for the elements of fantasy in Franck’s work have been found. The examination of Franck’s photographs has allowed systematizing the elements of fantasy in her documentary photography projects and analysing the master’s figurative language and selected technical solutions.

Keywords

• martine franck
• documentary photography
• fantasy
• surrealism
• artistic photography
• analog photography