Françoise PétrovitchJ'ai travaillé mon comptant (Reédition)

“For two years, in different regions of France, I met elderly people in their homes, in nursing homes and hospitals. Based on simple questions: Do you remember your first job? Do you have a memory that stands out in your working life? People spoke up spontaneously. Their words were free, often radical and out of reach. Without knowing them, without selecting or choosing them, I heard men and women from all walks of life for whom this moment was an opportunity to share their experiences and thoughts without fear or censorship, without any need to convince or seduce. And I have learned about their living and working conditions, the sufferings but also the joys through which those who preceded us passed. I wrote down the words of each person, keeping as close as possible to what was said, then I closed the diptych with a drawing as a response to each interview. This shared time of the meeting was as much a part of my project as the moment when I drew the picture alone.

In the book, these 100 memories of the work are presented in the order of my meetings. Drawing, by its very nature, brings here an extension, a continuity and a trace.”