Behind the Photographs

A Blog by Pierre Toutain-Dorbec

Pierre Toutain-Dorbec Pierre Toutain-Dorbec

When Art Became a Weapon: Pollock, the CIA and the Cultural Cold War

During the Cold War, art became part of a cultural battlefield. The documented CIA program, the international rise of American Abstract Expressionism, and the overlooked story of Ukrainian-born Janet Sobel reveal a fascinating history behind Pollock, Rothko and the image of American artistic freedom.

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Pierre Toutain-Dorbec Pierre Toutain-Dorbec

Family Photography — What Will Remain of Us?

Photographs are more than memories. When printed, identified and carefully preserved, family photographs become a record of who we were—and a gift to generations we will never know.

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Pierre Toutain-Dorbec Pierre Toutain-Dorbec

Maha Kumbh Mela, 1989

Photographer Pierre Toutain-Dorbec revisits his coverage of the 1989 Maha Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, documenting Naga Sadhu life and working in collaboration with the Bombay Leprosy Project.

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Pierre Toutain-Dorbec Pierre Toutain-Dorbec

Domestic Violence Awareness Month

For Domestic Violence Awareness Month, photographer and multidisciplinary artist Pierre Toutain-Dorbec reflects on violence against women, human dignity, and his recent AI-assisted image series.

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