Lucien Clergue: Phoenixology: Photographs 1959, Jean Cocteau's Testament of Orpheus

WESTWOOD GALLERY NYC was pleased to present Lucien Clergue: Phoenixology, a solo exhibition of photographs by Lucien Clergue (1934-2014). On view were thirty 1959 photographs (lifetime prints, signed by Clergue) which reveal the historic photographer’s view of the creative process in the filming of Testament of Orpheus. The film was written and directed by French artist, writer and intellectual, Jean Cocteau (1889-1963). The exhibition title “Phoenixology” is the title of a poem Cocteau addressed to Lucien Clergue.

Westwood Gallery NYC first premiered the exhibition of Lucien Clergue’s photographs in 2011, to coincide with a French Institute Alliance Française exhibition. The 2011 exhibition was widely reviewed by ARTnews, City Arts, Huffington Post, The New Yorker, and others.

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Photographer Lucien Clergue, a close friend of Cocteau, was only 25 when he documented the making of the film. In the words of Cocteau to Lucien, “You are free to do as you please, I look forward to being surprised by your photos. They will reveal something different from my film.” The Clergue photographs on exhibit tell the story of the ground-breaking film, described by Cocteau as “a machine for creating meanings,” as well as the story of the relationship between Cocteau and Clergue. They reveal Cocteau as the Poet with painted-on eyes like the performers in ancient Greek theater, actors in dramatic horse heads and full tails, as well as haunting images of the mythical Phoenix and symbolic Phantoms of death. Other photographs provide a poignant view of Cocteau the creator as he was filming behind the camera, drawing and creating his own art, and behind-the-scenes moments with Picasso, Marais, Truffaut and film crew and pictorial images at his beloved Milly-la-Forêt.

Testament of Orpheus (Le testament d'Orphée) is the final film in Cocteau’s Orphic Trilogy following The Blood of a Poet (1930) and Orphée (1950) and is the last creation of his greater oeuvre. The film à clef (on view in the exhibition) portrays the quest for divine wisdom of an 18th century poet, played by Cocteau himself, who reflects on his mortality just before his death. Set against the mysterious landscape of the Alpilles near Les Baux-de-Provence, the Poet meets several symbolic characters that bring about death and resurrection, inspired by the myths of the ancient Greek poet and musician, Orpheus.

The film cast includes Jean Marais (Cocteau’s long-term partner and muse), Charles Aznavour, Jean-Pierre Léaud, Serge Lifar, Françoise Sagan, Brigitte Bardot as well as cameo appearances by Yul Brynner and Pablo Picasso in his only feature film appearance in his lifetime. Completed at the last moment with the needed financial assistance from François Truffaut’s award money for Best Director for his film “The 400 Blows”, Testament of Orpheus represents a reflexive retrospective of Cocteau’s life and work.

Lucien Clergue’s book Jean Cocteau and the Testament of Orpheus (2001) recounts the young photographer’s personal experience of being on set with Cocteau.