On the necessity of the unnecessary, the essentiality of beauty, the futility of consumerism and the fleetingness of possession.
The amount of unnecessary waste we throw away has always impressed me. But beyond its abundance, I have sought to explore the disappearance of things. For this series, I documented everything I threw away over the course of a week. In our society, there is little room for what is not considered useful or beautiful. Everything that can upset our gaze is deliberately avoided. Starting from this observation, I began to wonder about the relationships between happiness and consumption. Must we be a consumer with immense purchasing power in order to consider ourselves happy? Through these questions, I try to evoke the space occupied by our possessions and, beneath the surface, the parts of ourselves that we do not wish to see.
My photographs can be viewed as contemporary works of vanitas. They are reminiscent of the 17th and 18th-century still lifes which instilled the idea of the futility of possessions and worldly goods in the face of inevitable death.
Delphine Burtin, 38, is passionate about the image in all its forms, especially photography. She is currently studying at the Ecole Supérieure de Photographie de Vevey in Switzerland.
EXHIBITION
Disparition
Festival Les Boutographies
March 2 – 17, 2013
Pavillon Populaire
Rue Charles Amans
34000 Montpellier
France
