“Photography is not a mirror of reality. Photography is the deceptive extension of our perception of the world. The field suddenly expands when we abandon the idea that photography can be a reflection of the world. A dialogue ensues, and each image becomes the representation of an ideal which is more promising than everyday reality as we perceive it.” — Francisco Supervielle.
L’Oeil de la Photographie : Why did you come to study photography in Europe? And why do you now want to return to Uruguay?
Francisco Supervielle: I left Uruguay when I was 18, but it wasn’t to study photography. I started out studying law in Aix-en-Provence. That was when I realized that I wanted to start taking pictures. Now that I’ve had the experience I was looking for—and it was a wonderful one—it’s time to go home, dissect and digest these past few years in Europe.
LODLP : How do you see your work over there after your time spent in Europe? What difference do you perceive between the two cultures?
FS : Uruguay is populated by Spanish, Italian and French migrants. The looking back towards the old continent is characteristic of a young country filled with admiration and nostalgia. However, my time in Europe has allowed me to draw a parallel between the two regions. Uruguay is a small, quiet country. It may lack the economic and geopolitical impact of Belgium or France, but Europeans have a certain admiration for it. This experience was very enriching and I hope to share what I learned and make use of it back in Uruguay.
LODLP : “Photography, seizing the transformation,” you write. Is that a transformation of yourself, of your vision of the world, your approach to photography, or of a reality that you capture?
FS : As Peter Galassi says, “Photography always transforms what it describes. That’s the art of photography, to control that transformation.” I don’t think that I’m transforming myself with photography. Rather, I feel like something more important than me is transcended through photography. This “something” is the surprise and astonishment at seeing our world with different eyes: the eyes of photography.
LODLP : How did the series Variations come about and what is the common thread running through it?
FS : This series of photography is the fruit of long reflection, according to which a photographic project can be built around visual, aesthetic and sensory coherence. Before, I was working on very precise subjects, for example, my photo series Colección de Silencios, or a different one, Campus, about college students. In this body of images, I realized that the photographs interested me by what they made me feel. The subject almost became secondary. It was then that I decided to give myself more freedom with the next project.
EXHIBITION
« Variations »
Photographs by Francisco Supervielle
Until March 22nd, 2015
Contretype
4A, Cité Fontaine
1060 Saint-Gilles
Bruxelles
Belgium
www.contretype.org
www.franciscosupervielle.com
