Ian Patrick is an American and French citizen. While accompanying his father William on a visit to Normandy, he discovered his dad had been there during the war and realized the scope of this very important historical battle. It was the beginning of a long adventure. Every year from 1984 to 2008, Ian has been going to Normandy to photograph the D-Day ceremonies and the last eye witnesses of living history.
His new book, "Anonymous Heroes", shares with us the emotions of the celebrations with his portraits of veterans and ordinary people who come to the ceremonies, battle grounds and cemeteries to honor those who fell and lay in the noble soil of Normandy.
Through these black and white images, Ian Patrick shows the intense sentiment and profound emotions in the ambience of that day: " The horror of war and the joy of the liberated, two intangible sensations which have been my inspiration for this photo essay".
Well known for his portraits of famous people like Bob Marley or Andy Warhol, Ian Patrick has been able to capture the intensity of those who participated in this great moment of history. During the many years of photographing in Normandy, he made some remarkable encounters with veterans of all nationalities. In befriending these men, they felt comfortable enough to share their D-Day experiences with him. In the book are their words, words that don’t always come easy, for even with the decades of time that have passed, the horrors of war are still present.
"One’s imagination runs wild seeing their faces confronting the places and people who changed their lives forever."
These images constitute a perennial trace of the memories of these old soldiers and give us a moving and personal rapport with history.
"In taking these photographs, I learned a lot about human nature, about society and about myself. They are the perception of a reality that illuminates and ricochets our temporal existence."
The 120 page book is bilingual and accompanies two major expositions to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landing. From the 7th of May to the 14th of June at the Army Museum at the Hotel des Invalides in Paris and from the 3rd of June to the end of July at the Memorial Museum of the Battle of Normandy in Bayeux.
Ian Patrick was born in Salzburg, Austria in 1951. He graduated from Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles and moved to New York where he worked for magazines such as The New York Times Magazine, Esquire, Rolling Stone, Andy Warhol's Interview and also did many album covers for recording artists. Ian discovered Paris in 1979 and installed his studio on the canal St. Martin.
To visit the website of Ian Patrick press here
To buy the book press here
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