Isabelle Armand worked with fashion photographers in her native Paris before permanently relocating to New York City in the 1980’s. In the years that followed, she continued to work with a variety of fashion photographers. At that time, she began to experiment with photography and to develop her skills as a photographer in her own right.
Eventually, Armand’s predilection for art drew her away from the fashion industry. She assumed the position of U.S. editor for the French magazine Connaissance des Arts, in whose pages her own photographic portraits of contemporary artists, such as James Turrell appeared.
After a productive stint as editor, Armand has devoted herself to her photographic work since 2000, and more recently has also been working with moving images. Concentrating on black-and-white film portraiture and documentaries, primarily medium format, she created several ongoing photographic series, most notably one focusing on contemporary artists, and another portraying the residents of Harlem in New York City. More recently, Armand memorialized, in photographs, the story of two men in rural Mississippi, who endured wrongful conviction for crimes they did not commit and were subsequently exonerated.
Her book of photographs, Levon and Kennedy: Mississippi Innocence Project, was published in March 2018 by PowerHouse Books, and has been widely acclaimed.
Armand is currently exploring the relationship between poverty and memory loss in the town of Glendora in the Mississippi Delta, the poorest area in the nation. Through film and photographs, as well as collected testimonial accounts, Armand is seeking to document the extreme poverty and harsh conditions challenging the inhabitants of this small town, whose collective memory is scarred by the murder of Emmett Till in 1955.
Armand’s highly original works can be found not only in private collections, but also in museum collections, and have been exhibited in the United States. In addition, they have been featured both in national and international publications.
Armand was awarded a grant from the SHOEN Foundation, in support of her book Levon and Kennedy: Mississippi Innocence Project. She was recently awarded a grant from the Fondation CUVELIER for the production of her current project, Glendora.
Collections- Brooklyn Museum- Akron Art Museum- Portland Museum of Art-Private Collections US, Great Britain and France
Press & book reviews- See blog for links.
All images & footage ©isabelle armand and cannot be used or reproduced without permission.