Patrick Cariou is a French photographer born in 1963, known for his dramatic and intimate portraits of marginalized communities across the globe. His work is often considered an ethnographic study of subcultures living on the fringes of modern society. He has documented subjects ranging from surfers and Rastafarians to gypsies, often traveling to remote locations to capture the essence of their cultures. Cariou’s work gained significant attention beyond the art world due to a landmark copyright infringement lawsuit he filed against appropriation artist Richard Prince, which became a pivotal case in defining the “fair use” doctrine in art. His notable photo books include Surfers, Yes Rasta, and Gypsies.
