Mr JR : not just a photographer but the Art himself. Giving the world that magic touch, he absolutely dives into things, buildings, landscapes, people, air, space and time.

Could be worth a tour of a life to see, admire and breath all his masterpieces spread and melted on our solitary planet.

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It feels like having a friend who knows exactly who We are and what our beliefs are, without frontiers to limit Creativity.

Here's an illustration of this Friend named Jean René, from which came the pseudonym JR.

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He is young, born in 1983, so 34 years old, French, whose surname remains unknown, super-energetic, eclectic, ambitious Joe who started off in Paris when 15 years old and rose to the top with natural determination bringing his camera always with him all around the world.

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His "Company" is now large and important, made of Art studios: one in Paris and another recently opened in New York and many mobile photo-booths modeled on his needs to be used everywhere he goes.

This Young man is eminently successful. His worldwide associates admire him, his competitors respect him and his "subjects of Art", the People, love him.

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In the process of climbing to the top of the ladder producing illegal and unauthorized Open-Air-Art-Exhibitions he has never failed.

There's something special and Unique in his Art exhibitions that can be defined  "Flash-mob-Art-exhibitions".

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Because aware of the prohibition of unauthorized Art and graffiti in the street or on public or private buildings and properties, Mr JR pastes, as fast as he can , huge photos with the support and practical help of his Team, Old Friends and New ones met on the spots devoted to the show.

People's portraits, in form of Black & White posters are depicting and personifying the "dancers" of his original "flash-mobs".

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It's mostly about individuals' faces, eyes and he never misses the human beings' souls.

The scenery, the choreography and the music of this fantastic "Flash-mob-Art-exhibition", which embraces perfectly people's portraits or "the dancers", it is made from the world itself.

In fact scenery, choreography and music are all created with different landscapes; the incredible quality of the photographs; the expressions on those photos; the feelings emerging from those portraits; the positioning and pasting the huge posters strategically on buildings, rooftops, broken walls, ancient historical facades, desert rusty  doors; perfumed theater stages; political untouchable columns or simply pasting the photos on traveling trains.

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All this "show", so difficult to organize, really makes the difference and arouses him to the very top, becoming the King of such a delicate and surprising kingdom: the Realm of Creativity.

He must surprise the world jumping from a roof to another with the same cat's attitude: stealthily.

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By no stretch of the imagination could he be said to have a courageous approach to life.

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He radiates an inner spiritual necessity with his touching Art. He is so well adjusted with himself , his beliefs and the hidden or forgotten World that's it is a pleasure to be with him and in his presence.

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There is one characteristic which appears to be the leader of his artistic identity: the impelling and repeated necessity to photograph and reproduce the eyes.

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Let's try to match together all the process.

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The eyes & Soul of Mr JR see the World with his Unique point of view.

The artist's eye sees through the camera.

The eye of the camera captures in a millions of clicks the timeless expressions of his subjects especially focusing on their eyes.

The immortalized people's eyes are then, from digital little pictures, enlarged to huge, massive dimensions.

 

Those enormous eyes are, with a sort of urgent need, pasted widely in the spots chosen for the exhibition, as if there were a dialogue with the world.

Then, once melted the eyes, faces and souls, with pasting, on the cement itself, on bricks, on roofs, squares, on social preconceptions and limits, he admires the World's reaction and the eye takes another picture of the whole and frames it.

 

More over the eyes are there not to be missed, Mr JR chooses to reproduce all is Art always in extremely big proportion.

Eyes are now of huge dimensions, and watching the "audience" meanwhile the Flash-mob-Art-exhibition's witnesses, are watching the eyes. It's a sort of mutual recognition.

 

The eyes are the essence of Mr JR's Art.

 

There lies the truth about his success. The eyes, being the mirror of people's souls, speak more than words, leave inner and much deeper sense to his pasting, talk to "Watchers" with a voice that sounds demanding.

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Demanding a contribution, a participation, a responsibility, an answer, a reflection to those "eyes", a spiritual mean to move the World somehow.

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The Photographed eyes, are eyes talking of violence perpetrated atrociously on children, women, men, everyday in the "favelas"; eyes of daily heroines in the African heat; eyes of the forgotten reality of disadvantaged European suburbs; eyes eager of Freedom; eyes of equal brightness but suppressed by an apartheid system and by the dark of political affairs and wars; desperate eyes over a smiling face; eyes who are shouting to exist, eyes who are never heard or misunderstood from the media.

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Monsieur JR is the bridge to their Souls.

Unknown people's voices emerge through his own Art and become Known and Listened.

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This is why millions of people are following him and hundred buying is Art.

This is why he won in 2011 the TED 100,000 $ prize.

This is why 108 countries are participating to his Inside Out Project.

This is why his photos even if melted by sun and rain or destroyed by man's hands still remain like untouched in many witnesses' hearts and souls.

This is why today the New York City Ballet has chosen him for a ballet with his personal touch on stage.

This is why, one of the most important American actor, Robert De Niro, has accepted to act and be directed by Mr JR in a short movie about emigration to New York passing on Ellis Island.

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It's point of "view", his inner eyes, are having a Great impact on anything he does.

People answer to his original call with passion and participation. The interest it is an inside interest, one that has a compelling hold on your attention. Non-conformity distinguishes him and makes him the King of Creativity with capital C.