Pierre-jean
edited and produced the first biography about Eugene ATGET, the renoun photographer of the streets of Paris.
The second edition of this book is available.
Another charming example of Pierre-jeans' printed works is the collection of vintage nude photos of 1925.
Pierre-jean Balbo was a member of the 30 X 40 CLUB in 1956.
With Roger DOLOY he ran the club until 1978, printing the majority of their bulletins and journals. He participated in many collective shows and also realised 2 one-man shows, one at "Studio 28" (1961) and the other was at "la Maison pour Tous" on rue Mouffetard (1968).
A printer by trade,
Pierre-jean BALBO was a pioneer in the evolution of photography from craft to fine art. His generosity and conviviality brought people together, whether it was in a room or on the printed page.
With a solid foundation in the technical arts, he built a means of production which he opened to fellow artists. In 1965, Pierre-jean consecrated half of his Parisian studio to create one of the first galleries to exhibit photography in Paris.
A playful spirit fueled Pierre-jean to push the envelope of art by developing innovative techniques.
Already an expert in traditional processes, he broke the rules by painting inks directly onto an offset machine to make "one-pass multi-colored printing". This resulted in a series of posters that had continuity and variety. It also afforded artists a way to produce impressive works quickly and economically.
Always interested in the evolution of technology, he was the first to adapt photo publishing to desktop computers in France. His bi-monthly journal "FOCALE" is a virtual gallery that expanded his support of graphic arts and photography.
Pierre-jean BALBO had an active lifetime of artistic creation that accompanied his commercial and cultural activities. Classic black and white photography was a starting point for Pierre-jean which led to his own technique he christened "BALBOGRAPHY". This was an ambitious method that employed painting with various chemicals in a darkroom onto photographic paper. The results are stunning one-of-a-kind compositions of long-lasting physical quality, due to his choice of paper and fixatives.
Pierre-jean also made a series of abstract aquarelles which revealed an interest and a talent for color.
As the programs for computer-assisted color evolved, Pierre-jean applied his love of color to the desktop medium, producing a series of fantastic color variations of his photographs. He was tireless in his testing to achieve the most pleasing and "reproducable" renditions of photographic work that one could achieve using desktop photography. His journal FOCALE provided a forum for his adherents to discuss and exchange ideas about the medium and the artist.
