Jean-Marie Périer, the iconic photographer who captured the essence of 1960s and 1970s stars, is showcasing 100 of his most celebrated photographs at the Usine électrique gallery in Allauch, France. The exhibition features legendary images ranging from Alain Delon's immortalized portrait used in the Eau Sauvage perfume advertisement to intimate shots from Johnny Hallyday and Sylvie Vartan's concert tours. This vibrant retrospective will run until March 29, 2026, offering visitors a nostalgic journey through the golden age of French pop culture.
Périer's philosophy about his craft is refreshingly honest and direct. "My job is to make people dream," explains the photographer, who became synonymous with the yé-yé music movement. "My photos are pure spectacle – they're made to be hung on teenagers' bedroom walls. They're colorful and all carefully posed." During his career with the influential magazine Salut les copains, virtually every major yé-yé artist passed before his camera lens, creating an unprecedented visual archive of the era's most beloved stars.
The exhibition's intriguing title, "Souvenirs d'avenir" (Memories of the Future), reflects the paradoxical nature of that transformative period. "It represents the era I lived through – we were full of projects and hope! It was certainly more joyful than now," Périer reflects. "This was the birth of adolescence as we know it. Suddenly, thanks to music, young people were taking power all over the world – it was extraordinary. They were young and beautiful, and they started from nothing."
Périer's unique access to the entertainment world came through his family connections. As the son of acclaimed actor François Périer, the photographer enjoyed unprecedented proximity to the stars of his generation. "I was lucky because of my father – all the stars came to our house," he recalls. "They were between 16 and 20 years old, and I was 22. I could call Sylvie Vartan just as easily as I could call the Beatles!" This intimate relationship with his subjects allowed him to capture authentic moments that professional distance might have prevented.
The photographer emphasizes how different the relationship between artists and photographers was during that golden era compared to today's celebrity culture. His work represents a time when access was more personal and less mediated by publicists and corporate interests. The exhibition at Allauch's newly inaugurated gallery space celebrates not just Périer's technical skill, but his role as a cultural chronicler who documented the moment when youth culture emerged as a global phenomenon that would reshape entertainment forever.
