Empreinte, Chauvet, France, 2023 (99/250)

JR (born 22 February 1983) is the name of a photographer and artist whose identity is unconfirmed. He has described himself as a "photograffeur", he flyposts large black-and-white photographic images in public locations in a manner which is similar to the appropriation of the built environment by the graffiti artist. He states that the street is "the largest art gallery in the world."

At the occasion of the exhibition O Papel da Mão that opened in São Paulo in March 2023, JR releases a new lithograph “Empreinte, Chauvet, France, 2023”.

From Chauvet in France to Serra da Capivara in Brazil, early representations of the hand ushered in the first era of human creativity. Our hands determine the mark we leave on the world and allow us to tell our own story.

This new lithograph “Empreinte, Chauvet, France, 2023” represents a hand sculpture on wood installed in front of the entrance to the Chauvet Cave in France.