Out There

 

The "Là-Bas" series (2009-2010) led me to an exploration of my native region -the Nièvre-, which is located at the south end of Burgundy, France. This is a rural area, with an ageing population, and it is gradually becoming depopulated. Whilst present-day culture and lifestyles are becoming more and more urban, I wished, by contrast, to scrutinize such landscapes, which have been slowly shaped by Man since the Middle Ages, and might well change significantly throughout the XXIst Century.

 

By adopting a type of composition in which the sky fills 2/3 of the frame, I attempted to place myself in the tradition of Dutch picturesque aesthetics from the XVIIth Century, where Man was depicted in harmony with the surrounding world, as well as humble towards nature.

 

When I take a look at my family tree, I notice that I am the first in a long lineage to have gone away from the Nièvre and settled in town - to have cut myself off from nature.

Am I mutating ?

 

This work is a tribute to my ancestors.