Art
Anatomy of an artwork

Fouad Elkoury’s Avenue Brazzaville, Djibouti, 1987

Exploring the Lebanese photographer’s portrait of a deserted restaurant

Waiting game: The lack of patrons in Elkoury’s photograph sets up a tension.
Waiting game: The lack of patrons in Elkoury’s photograph sets up a tension.

Cities

We’re looking at a restaurant in the port city of Djibouti. The image is typical of Elkoury’s work: the Lebanese photographer trained as an architect and urban space has been a constant feature in his work since he picked up a camera in 1979.

Waiting

It’s not certain whether the waiter is expecting any patrons. Is this a moment of waiting? Or resigned boredom?

Tension

Elkoury combines a fascination with the mundane aspects of cities with an ability to infuse a photograph with philosophical or emotional narratives. In this picture, where nothing much seems to be happening, there’s a palpable sense of apprehension.

History

The photograph sits in a solo exhibition titled Blues For The Orient. Taken from a song by Yusef Lateef, the name reflects the melancholic nature of Elkoury’s work, along with his taste for travel, and documenting the history of places, and their speculative future.

Rodeo, WC2, to 24 September