"MOLITOR - ÉTÉ 1985" by Gil Rigoulet

"I created this black-and-white photo series of the Molitor pool during the summer of( 1985. It’s part of a 30-year exploration I conducted on the theme of “bodies and water” in pools around the world.

I love swimming, and to find some freedom in crowded pools, I used to swim lengths underwater. I was fascinated by the fluidity of bodies beneath the surface. A friend lent me a Baroudeur, a waterproof camera made by Fujica for vacationing families. It was a marvel—capable of diving to 5 meters with excellent optical quality. Over 30 years, I used four of these cameras, which never left my side.

For the original Molitor pool, from the post-war period until its closure in 1989, there’s no comparable photographic record. My images capture a near-mythical place filled with a lively, colorful, and carefree crowd. I roamed with my camera at water level, entirely free, without hesitation or need for permission. No one minded. Kids leapt, dove, and made big splashes.

People spent entire afternoons or days at the pool. Young women nonchalantly rolled down their one-piece swimsuits or removed bikini tops, careful about tan lines. They swam topless, like bold sirens, channeling Brigitte Bardot. With water droplets glistening on their skin, they’d light a cigarette after a swim. Boys were enlisted to rub sunscreen onto their backs, enchanted by the sweet scent of Tahitian monoï.

It was the era of pools as pure pleasure. People flirted, chatted, daydreamed. Time stretched lazily. The air was filled with children’s shouts, the smell of chlorine, and a sensual ambiance. Emerging from numbered changing cabins, glances met, shy yet electric, and the magic often continued with a drink at the Pacific Molitor.

The pool was life itself!"

Posted images are stock images. Contact info@mrpurl.com for product images.

Edition: Limited Edition of 400 | Signed w/ Polaroid 
Additional Information: Includes book and 15 silver prints.
Publication Year: 2015
Condition: Like New
Notes: All items are final sale.