Although the Dumptique — the free shop at the West Tisbury dump — has a Frenchified name, most would agree that that’s purely ironic. There would appear to be little connection between the castoff clothing and housewares outlet and the traditional idea of a boutique: a place to shop for up-to-the-moment styles.
So it might be hard to imagine that the humble Dumptique has a presence in one of the toniest sections of Paris — but such is the case. Right now, hanging in an art gallery located on one of the city’s hippest streets, is a collection of photographs taken at the Dumptique.
The exhibit, called “The Dumptique and the Dumptiquers,” features posed portraits of a variety of people shopping at the well-loved recycling center. The collection is part of a group show at the Galerie du Jour, owned by clothing designer Agnès B.
The photographer is filmmaker Brigitte Cornand of West Tisbury and Paris. She is best known for her documentaries on well-known artists. After studying art at the Louvre School in Paris, Ms. Cornand started making film portraits of artist friends and worked as a producer of art programs for Canal+.
Eventually, Ms. Cornand relocated to New York City. “In the early ‘90s I met the sculptor Louise Bourgeois in New York City and did a film on her,” wrote Ms. Cornand in an email to The Times. “She loved Chere Louise. We became friends, and she asked me to move to New York.” The documentarian eventually made four films with Bourgeois.
During her time in New York, Ms. Cornand visited the Vineyard often. “When Louise Bourgeois passed away, I decided to move up to West Tisbury, where I used to go frequently for 10 years.”
In the meantime, she had started experimenting with photography. “More recently I bought a very tiny camera to take a photographic record of my friends in New York. My camera, a small digital Leica, became my best friend. It is like a diary. Now I have it in my bag at all times.”
Like many artists, Ms. Cornand found inspiration in the beauty of the Vineyard: “Martha’s Vineyard is a special and rare Island which breaks your habits. The countryside is gorgeous with its sumptuous greens, trees and woods, fields with ponds protecting the land with their fingers.”
She also found artistic inspiration in the people: “The spirit of the Island is beautiful. Old style, generous and kind.”
Through her volunteer job at the Dumptique Ms. Cornand had the opportunity to meet a wide range of Islanders. “Immediately I understood that the Dumptique of West Tisbury is a kind of treasure room. It’s unique. It’s a meeting place, a rendezvous of all ages and different social standing. I met many of my new friends there.”
“I noticed that all these people coming for the picking, or bringing donations, were very stylish. Little by little I decided to take pictures of them. My friends, the volunteers, helped me a lot.”
The photos were taken over the course of a year from May 2013 to May 2014.
Longtime friend Agnès B. got a chance to look at the Dumptique photos last year while Ms. Cornand was in Paris. She liked them well enough to include them in a group show at her Galerie du Jour, which is located one block from the Pompidou Centre in the Beaubourg area of the fourth arrondissement. The show opened on Nov. 8, and will hang at the gallery through Dec. 20.
The Galerie du Jour is a contemporary art gallery specializing in photography but open to a wide range of media. It opened in 1984 with a collection of graffiti art. The gallery exhibits the work of many well-known artists, including filmmakers Kenneth Anger and Harmony Korine and photographer Nan Goldin.
Agnès B. boutiques are located in cities all over the world in some of the most stylish retail locations. Agnès B., who also owns a film production company and another gallery in Japan, is known to be a patron of the arts, as well as a style setter.
So don’t be surprised if the Vineyard look (let’s call it practical/resourceful) eventually ends up on the streets of Paris, or maybe even the runways of Fashion Week.
