"Jacques is the most meticulous person I know. He spent 2 hours taking the old bicycle to pieces. He has the same patience with every kind of mechanism. A gag is just another piece of clockwork”
~ Robert Doisneau
(1912-1994)
“The images are designed so that after you see the picture 2 or 3 times, it’s no longer my film. It starts to be your film. You recognize the people, you know them and you don’t even know who directed the picture. “Play Time” is nobody.
~ Jacques Tati
(1907-1982)
Jacques Tati was a 6’ 3’’ tall cinematic genius, in the tradition of Chaplin and Keaton. Robert made this portrait in Vogue’s Paris studio showing Tati in the role he made famous in the film “Play Time” (“Jour de Fete"). Robert asked him to dismantle the bicycle in the studio and this became one of his most celebrated “artist” portraits. You sense the pure joy they were both having. Not a bad day’s work.
