“These photographs began as a series for WAD magazine. By trying to respond to the question, “How to combine the idea of levels with fashion?” I came up with a diptych: show a building with its front wall removed, revealing the signs of life inside. I put the resulting colorful geometric patterns across from animated silhouettes corresponding to each apartment.
Having taken photographs of architecture in Berlin, Naples, Charleroi and Belfast, I was struck by the link between people in the street and the apartments and houses where they live. So I tried to create, with the invaluable help of a stylist, a link with style and clothing. The fashion aspect was thought of as the superposition of strata of clothing on a vertical plane, or on a horizontal place from the outside to the inside, like floors stacked on top of each other, or rooms that are clumped together.
For many people there is a kind of discrete fascination for these slices of buildings that are slices of life, but also slices of death. We are after all in the true spirit of vanity: ‘Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.’
These photographs of buildings are still lifes that speak of life and death. I set them against the silhouettes of fashion, and fashion is nothing more than a brazen attempt to capture the fleeting art of the street, the time that is now, against the time that was.”
Philippe Gueguen
Paris-born Philippe harboured ambitions to be a geologist after leaving High School but he soon dug himself out of it when his interest in photography took over. He enrolled on a 2 years course at the French school of Photography – ENSLL – then immediately took off to the States.
Upon his return to Paris he set up his own studio, and has worked ever since for national & international publishing houses and advertising agencies.
His work has won recognition with -in the profession winning notably the Grand Prix de l’Affichage,
the silver award in Epica Awards, and awards from the DA Club Paris.
Stylist : Olivier Mulin
REPRESENTATION
France : Phom
http://www.phom.fr/
EXHIBITION
BIENNALE DES CREATEURS D’IMAGES
Docks – Cité de la Mode et du Design
34 quai d’Austerlitz
75013 Paris
France
May 31 to June 30, 2012
Everyday, 10 am to 8 pm. Free entrance.
Séverine Morel
[email protected]
