In his book “Henri Cartier-Bresson : a biography,” Pierre Assouline reveals how Cartier Bresson envisioned himself as a ‘thief’ by capturing people in private and public moments and then fleeing with these “stolen images” that one would reproduce for display and profit.
In the genre of travel journalism, many writers employ a narrative as a template, pop into a place or venue for a few interviews and cursory observations; in effect, they take a ‘snapshot,’ a stolen image, yet haste and a lack of research produce a picture that lacks definition, depth of field and color, and at times the facts do not check out. A peril of drive-by journalism is offering readers a “picture” that is out-of-focus.
This phenomenon plagued Pierre Cardin in 2007 and 2008 when journalists descended upon Lacoste and an ensuing tsunami of articles appeared in the press worldwide, many of them rewritten from published articles, all marked by the gripping narrative of “Cardin vs. the villagers,” all leveraging “Cardin” as an iconic brand to sell copies and boost CTRs (click-through rate). And all were thin on details and color, and short on power of observation.
In the WSJ Magazine out this Saturday, Tony Perrottet returns to this familiar theme with a bracing tonic of an article on Cardin and Lacoste which is rich in detail and lively in its vision, remarkably attuned to the way it feels to be on the ground in Lacoste and among ‘le peuple.’
This was no drive-by salute. Tony’s last stopover in Lacoste this spring was his third in recent years, and his narrative is layered with vignettes, imagery and details borne out of his time there, as well as interviewing Pierre Cardin in Paris. By being the only journalist to date who has made the effort to tour Cardin’s houses and hotels in Lacoste, Tony dishes up a peek behind Lacoste’s locked doors. He approaches the subject with a curious and playful temperament. Toward the end of the article when one reads the comments of the incessant whiners who oppose Cardin and his gentrification of Lacoste, one has the sensation that the train has long left the station and there is no turning back. The article is a delightful and easy read.
Two details to clarify: “A Year in Provence” by Peter Mayle memorializes Ménerbes, not Bonnieux, and Ridley Scott lives in Oppède, not in Bonnieux.
For anyone visiting Lacoste, brace yourself for the lack of commerce in the village. Outside of two cafes, there is no bakery, grocery store, pharmacy, bank nor petrol / gas station.
Basics
WSJ Magazine, June 23, 2001, “Ever Wonder What Pierre Cardin Has Been Up To”: web site