I’ve been completely mildly obsessed with anonymous French artist JR since I came across his work on Tumblr a few weeks ago. JR, who prefers to be called a photograffeur (graffeur is French for “graffiti artist”) plasters poor neighborhoods around the globe with giant black and white portraits. His work combines the immediacy and intimacy of street photographers such as Boogie and Eugene Richards while working on a massive scale.
What makes JR so unique is that he not only takes photos of people who are otherwise ignored, but he creates massive art installations in those same neighborhoods, and enlists the help of the people who live there as well. Rather than taking a top-down approach with his art, he fosters a sense of community with his subjects and creates a less one-sided, and ultimately more dynamic relationship with his subjects.
The artist was also recently awarded the prestigious TED Prize, which will provide him $ 100,000 to continue his globetrotting art project.
Photo credits: (top) Cambodia, 2010, by J R; (middle) From “Women Are Heroes” series, Kibera, Kenya, by J R