Marc Robin

Marc Robin is a French photographer with Californian influences. Born in Paris in 1943, he later did his studies at the Art Center College of Design, in Los Angeles. In 1965, he was the youngest graduate of his promotion. Throughout his career, he shots many different advertising campaigns, such as Citroen, Philip Morris, Carachel for men, Air France, Fiat, Guerlain, Lanvin, Mercedes Benz, L’Oréal, Dior, Yves-Saint-Laurent searching diversity and avoiding specialization.

He also works on feature films and for magazines such as « Twen » in Germany and “Cuisine magazine” in France from 1969 to 1970. Thirty years later for Gala, the people magazine.

Marc Robin undertakes as well in parallel of his career, many personal works which will end up in exhibitions. Marc Robin always had a passion for photographs of bodies and nude models.

Marc Robin
Born november 7, 1943, Paris Nationality French Occupation Photographer, Director Formation Art Center College of Design, California Spouse M-L Trinquart (died in 1996) Family Fabrice Robin (son)

Biography 

Marc Robin was an only child, his father, René Robin was a top chef restaurant owner. Even though Marc Robin was French, he never actually studied in Paris : throughout his childhood, his mother, Hugette Dumaître and him followed his father from town to town, restaurants to restaurants. That way he studied in Montréal, Chicoutimi (Canada), Detroit (Michigan), San Francisco, and end up in Los Angeles. His many travels shaped the photographer he is today.

He was given his first camera ( a Kodak Brownie with flash ) at the age of 14 for Christmas. His initiation into photography started in the « camera club », a club that his biology teacher used to run after classes. Marc Robin shoots his first still-life and photographs his first models : the girls of his class.

At the age of 17, Marc Robin was accepted at the Art Center College of Design, a school located in Los Angeles at the time. In June 1961, he graduates from Hollywood High School in Hollywood Bowl, promotion of more than 400 students, surrounded by his everlasting high school friends, René Lagler, David Giler, Lennard Richmond, Carrie Enwright and Mike Marshall (son of Michèle Morgan). Aside from his studies, he’s hired by Schaeffers, the biggest photo shop in Hollywood. He also worked for the model agency « Flaire » and realized their portfolio. During this time, Marc Robin shoots his first nude photo in his parent’s living room.

Seeing himself predisposed for fashion and beauty, Marc Robin returned to Paris to start his career. He produced his first advertising campaigns, for many different brands such as Lanvin perfume for Mothers day or the tomato sauce Cross Blackwell. His advertising campaign for the perfume Molyneux was a turning point in his life : he met the film director Jean-Gabriel Albicocco, and is offered to photograph the shooting of Jean-Gabriel Albicocco’s next film : «  Le Grand Meaulnes ».,

Marc Robin traveled the world and signed many various advertising campaigns such as ( Nestlé, Coca-Cola, Marlboro, Pierre Cardin, BMW…). In 1982, he was awarded a “Lion d’or Cinema” in Cannes and the Grand Prix advertising strategies of communication: prize for television for his film Telefunken (Production R.Franco). He also gets that year, the First national award of advertising posters in France for the Lois Jeans brand.

Marc Robin is the author of more than 1200 advertising campaigns and more than twenty advertising films.

Today the photographer is entirely focus on the writing of screenplays and in Fine Art.

His son, Fabrice Robin, is carrying the torch as he is now an advertising photographer and filmmaker.

Personal work

In parallel of his job, he continued doing his own personal work. Marc Robin says he has a particular sensibility for the beauty of the bodies, and loves photographing them. He’s fascinated by the purity and the elegance that women possess.

His project “Private Beaches” shot in the beginning of the 80’s with JTProductions, is a series of photos representing a private beach inhabited by nymphs and sirens.

“Enchanted Waters” illustrates an underwater world filled with naiads and mermaids.In 1989, he initiates a research work around the theme of “Black and White”, a work that put into value the notion of cultural mixing.

In 1994, he devotes himself in the making of “Mama Africa”, an enormous exhibition that includes 120 photographs illustrating the biggest black dance companies in action in the world, real bodie and ebony sculptures. The project evolved over the years, and became “Black Beauty”.

Inspirations

It’s the work of photographer Peter Gowland, that pushed Marc Robin to start photography. The thought leaders of the photographers in the profession are Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, Art Kane and Hiro. They still are his inspirations.

Quotations

“ The forms don’t satisfy me. They are cold, motionless, it seems necessary to me to put them in motion, to inject a little bit of life into them. I need to introduce a story. I always try to add a substance in my subject. What interest me the most is the plastic research around the gesture and the movement, I want to capture the elegance of these dancers in their original beauty, the meeting between the body and the spirit and in that way translate an emotion more than a style.”

– Marc Robin

« Having listened the others, I learned considerably : from the detail that can make the difference to perseverance who allows to conclude. »

– Marc Robin

Prizes and distinctions

• 1970–1971 – award for an advertising made for the brand " La maison du café ", McCann Ericson Agency, Dc Ray Stollerman., ,
• 1970–1971 – award for an advertising made for the brand "lupin", intermarco Elvinger Agency, AD Serges Lucas.
• 1972 – award for an advertising made for the brand "Rossière", FCA Agency, AD Edouard Nicolas.
• 1972 – award for an advertising made for the brand "Kit & Kat", Ted Bates, AD Jacques Henroq.,
• 1973 – award for an advertising made for the brand "Lanvin", Elvinger Agency, AD Serge Lucas.
• 1974 – award for an advertising made for the brand "Spil Huit Lingerie", Moors & Warot Agency, CEO Jacques Warot.,
• 1979 – award for an advertising made for the brand "Lois", Taurus Agency, AD Gérard Clerc.
• 1979 – award for an advertising made for the brand "Archimode", pétrole Agency, AD Christopher Sand.,
• 1982 – award for an advertising made for the brand " Eden is a magic world" by Telefunken.
• 2004 – Strategic prize for the touristic catalogue in Méribel station, advertising Agency Arc in Lyon.

Collective exhibitions

• " Le Grand Meaulnes" centenary of Alain Fourrier, Tonw hall of the 11n arrondissement, Paris, France, 2013.
• " Le Grand Meaulnes" Projection of the Making Off the movie of Jean-Gabriel Albicocco with Brigitte Fossey & Alain Liblot, Media library of Bourges, France, 2013.
• Fine Art Palm Desert revue, California, USA, 2014–2015.

Personal exhibitions

• "La photographie dans tous ses états" Saint-Rémy-l'Honoré gallery, Paris, France, 2002.
• " Enchanted Waters", Héléne Chantereau Gallery, Paris, France, 1999.
• "Mama Africa" Vega space of Pierre Cardin, France, 1995.
• Exhibition during the month of the photo at the advertising agency HDM, Paris, France, 1990.

Publications

• « Le Berry à l’affiche » de Maud Brunaud, in 2011, CPE Centre editions.
• Photo Magazine, n^o 36, September 1970.
• Afrique Magazine, n^o 128, November 1995
• Collectors Photography Magazine, volume 2, n^o 3, 1986.
• Double Face, 1995.
• European Professional, n^o 15, November 1995.
• Idol, n^o 16, November 1995.
• L'Affiche : Le Magazine des autres musiques, n^o 29, November 1995.
• L'Officiel des spectacles, the weekly issue of novembre 9 and 31 December 1995.
• Le Nouvel Observateur, n^o 1618, November 1995.
• Paris Capitale, October 1995.
• Phot’Argus, n^o 212, 1995.
• Playboy, n^o 39, December 1995.
• Réponses photo, n^o 44, November 1995.

References

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