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photo : Maryse Cantin
Photo : Marc F. Gélinas
photo : Maryse Cantin
1949 : Born in Paris, France
Very early on, I was fascinated by photography. After attending college at Université Paris Dauphine, I assiduously participated in Claudine and Jean-Pierre Sudre’s experimental photography class. The true objective of this course was growing-up. But most of all, we had freedom of vision and freedom to try things, backed by rigorous technical teaching and moral support. The curriculum also consisted of a continuous happening of images, music from Mozart to jazz, memorable spreads and wine tasting labs. Thank you, Claudine and Jean-Pierre.
Gobble-up everything. Save only the best and spit-out the rest. Early on, I made the firm resolve to produce three prints only and an artist’s proof of each picture. Then, destroy the negative.
1974 : Canada.
This is a six year period where my work was still dominated by black and white. I began experimenting more abstract visions such as mirror effects and quasi-symmetries.
I believe the advent of photography in the XIX-th century is one of the major forces - at last a "true" representation of reality - that helped painting move away from classical representation. But for many photographers, "true" representation has become somewhat of a trap. I believe picture taking can and should be more than an "art moyen" as Bourdieu describes it.
1985 : Desert crossing
For years, I feel I did nothing new. My tomorrows always ended up as pale reflections of yesterdays. I also suffered a blunting of skills from lack of use. Creatively it was like staring at blank walls. I was out of my mind, literally, as if at arms-length from myself.
During these years, I set-up and managed an industrial multi-media enterprise and discoursed very cogently, or so I thought, about photography.
2005 : Home again
After almost twenty years of talking my friends to exasperation and myself to sleep, I was told: "Please shut-up, do it and then we’ll talk!" Shocked and scared, I finally did just that. Quite an awakening! I found light again, and colour, and digital technology. I re-sharpened my eye. Thank you my friends. And, for now, I’m still too busy catching-up to talk.