Exposition – Jean Painlevé, les pieds dans l’eau

Jean Painlevé: between science, art and visual poetry.

Jean Painlevé (1902-1989), an internationally renowned film-maker, revolutionised the scientific documentary by combining educational rigour with artistic daring. Close to the avant-gardes of the inter-war period, he used cinema as a tool to explore living things, alternating real and microscopic views to reveal the invisible.

His work, shown in film clubs and avant-garde cinemas, attracted attention for its non-conformist approach and its affinities with surrealism. Working with major figures such as Calder, Léger and Vigo, Painlevé blurred the boundaries between science and art, producing films that were both informative and poetic.

Photo: Jean Painlevé, Hippocampe dans les algues, circa 1934, vintage gelatine-silver print, Les Documents Cinématographiques/Archives Jean Painlevé