
© yonhapnews
A small camera that he picked up at a RER metro station in 2001 forever changed his life. He began documenting his and his friends’ graffiti painting, and then printing them in black and white for street exhibitions that combined photo collage and graffiti.

An art series in collaboration with the New York City Ballet / New York City Ballet Art Series, the Eye of the New York City Ballet, Horizontal, New York, USA, 2014, Colour Photograph, Matte Plexiglass, Aluminium, Wood (face mounted) 180 x 250 cm | 70 7/8 x 98 7/16 inch, Edition of 3 © JR-ART.NET
The mainstream art circle also recognized the far-reaching influence of JR’s humanistic messaging and has since become a voluntary collaborator. Artist Shepard Fairey once said, “JR is the most ambitious person I know.”

JR (French, born 1983). The Chronicles of New York City, 2018–19 (detail). © JR-ART.NET
‘Portraits of a Generation (2004~2006),’ which put JR on the map, was a project designted to tell the story of people he knew in Montfermeil and Clichy-sous-Bois following the 2005 French riots. These riots were caused by the electrocution of two boys who were being chased by police near an apartment building where JR put up his large collage in 2004. And the riots also brought the international spotlight on JR’s photos. Portraits and contact information for young men in the area, who had been described merely as violent strangers, went up across affluent areas of Paris. The message was that these youths were all ordinary members of their community, not just some immigrants with a violent streak. Parisians took notice, and JR quickly became an artist to watch.

The Chronicles of New York City, composition #5, USA, 2018, Print, glass, wood (framed behind glass) Framed: 62 x 44 x 6 cm. | 24 7/16 x 17 5/16 x 2 3/8 in. Photo by Guillaume Ziccarelli. Courtesy of the artist and Perrotin. © JR-ART.NET

The Chronicles of New York City, composition #3, USA, 2018, Print, glass, wood (framed behind glass) Framed: 62 x 44 x 6 cm. | 24 7/16 x 17 5/16 x 2 3/8 in. Photo by Guillaume Ziccarelli. Courtesy of the artist and Perrotin. © JR-ART.NET
JR came to be known as an outlaw of sort, for his projects were done without permission from local authorities. But TED conferences, in recognition of JR’s influence, named him the 2011 Ted Prize winner. It was a global recognition for JR. TED had previously awarded such renowned figures as Bill Clinton and Bono, and it gave JR high marks for his humanitarian messages.
He used the prize money to launch the ‘Inside Out’ project (2011~current), a global initiative that has allowed more than 400,000 people from aournd the world to upload their own photos. He has continued to do large collage and exhibitions, such as JR au Louvre (2016 and 2019) using the famous Louvre Pyramid, the Chronicles of San Francisco (2018) and the Chronicles of New York City (2019).

JR (French, born 1983). The Chronicles of New York City, 2018–19. Details of participants. Inkjet print on vinyl. © JR-ART.NET

The Chronicles of New York at Domino Park in Brooklyn / The Chronicles of New York City, JR, and Triangle STACK #2, LOT-EK at Domino Park, Brooklyn, New York © JR-ART.NET

The Chronicles of New York City – Sketches, 2019, Perrotin New York. Photo by Guillaume Ziccarelli. Courtesy of the artist and Perrotin. © JR-ART.NET

JR: Chronicles, Brooklyn Museum. © Jonathan Dorado
The Chronicles of New York City features portraits of some 1,100 New Yorkers. The epic mural became the centrepiece of the retrospective ‘JR: Chronicles,' which opened at Brooklyn Museum in October 2019. The photos were shot in the same fashion as that for the Chronicles of San Francisco. A long trailer truck with a makeshift studio travelled across five boroughs of New York and photographed New Yorkers along the way. Those who were invited chose their own poses and recorded their own stories. And their life stories add so much life to the mural. Robert De Niro, the New York-based actor, is also featured, and trying to spot his face in the crowd could be a fun exercise on its own.

Portraits displayed on streets near Times Square in New York / JR (French, born 1983). Inside Out, Times Square, New York City, 2013. Installation image. Wheat-pasted posters on buildings. © JR-ART.NET
If you ever visit the museum, look for a 30-something man wearing sunglasses. JR is known to visit the museum from time to time to gauge people’s reaction. And that’d be your chance to meet one of the greatest artists of our generation. And if you’re so lucky, you may even get to take part in his project and let your voice be heard.

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