It is at the water’s edge, in the calm of the pools that artist Soo Burnell draws his inspiration. The Scottish photographer has been developing for nearly 20 years a practice that highlights the poetry of architectures and solitary characters. Influenced by the work of American filmmaker Wes Anderson, the artist composes her images like immense canvases in pastel colors where buildings become the protagonists of the story she tells us.
“The high ceilings, the skylights, the symmetry, the geometry, the tiles … everything is reflected in the still water. Beyond the architecture, there is a lot of nostalgia in these preserved spaces.”
In 2018, Soo Burnell presented her collection called Poolside where she explored the hypnotic atmosphere of the old public baths in Edinburgh, her hometown. Within these immense Victorian structures, the vintage-looking swimmers seem lost, contemplative… That same year, the photographer set out in search of new Belle Époque swimming pools across Europe. Among them, she discovered Molitor, whose architecture and the colors of the two pools overwhelmed her.
The “To the Water” exhibition invites you to discover the photographs taken in Molitor, and the atmospheres of the most beautiful swimming pools in Europe through the eye of the photographer Soo Burnell.
Soo Burnell is an Edinburgh-based photographer who has worked in various fields of photography for the past 20 years. The current collection titled “poolside” is an ongoing project that focuses on her passion for architecture and swimming pools.
Soo has captured the architecture of many historic swimming pools highlighting the geometry, dramatic proportions and color palette of each space. Focused on a careful composition with the inclusion of figures to scale the architecture. The effect is minimal and understated but also dynamic in proportions and details, as Soo offers a fascinating glimpse of these “hidden” spaces.
Soo Burnell : To The Water
December 10, 2021 to February 20, 2022
Hôtel Molitor
13, rue Nungesser et Coli
75016 Paris
Opening in the presence of the photographer on Thursday, December 9, 2021 from 6 p.m.
