Shipyards
For a long time, I thought about how I could tackle this subject, which was close to my heart, but which I found so difficult to tackle in a rational and, if possible, original photographic study.
In memory of all those thousands of workers involved in shipbuilding for several generations, who had lost their tools of the trade, with the direct consequence of losing their jobs to shipyard workers in Indonesia, my approach had to be as representative of these places as possible, without obscuring the passage of time.
In this first “section”, I focused on the exteriors of these monumental structures, taking care in the choice and timing of the shots, daylight being of paramount importance, in order to render, highlight and emphasize the elements that make them up.
From mechanical buildings to carpentry sheds, everywhere the ravages of time have left their mark, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
As a result, nature is gradually invading the site, sometimes happily, while the metal structures are being eaten away by rust and sea air.
A multitude of pigeons have taken up residence on the cornices of the main building, and graffiti artists have happily appropriated the surrounding walls, creating modern, vividly colored tags and frescoes that challenge as much as they make you smile.
Even if no large-scale project seems likely to emerge in the near future, given the complexity of rehabilitating these very special places, my photographic testimony will at least have the merit of showing facets of a world where the duty to remember is part and parcel of the history of the La Seyne sur mer shipyards.
