Dominique Issermann, a legendary photographer and pioneer of visual arts in France, is the guest of honor at the 15th edition of the Festival Planches Contact. On the beach in Deauville, she is presenting a major exhibition until January 5th 2025 titled NIVEAU ZÉRO.
On this occasion, our correspondent Maïlys Derville discussed with the artist her unique connection with the Côte Fleurie, along with her personal and artistic vision of photography.
Did your connection with Trouville-sur-Mer shape your eye, your light, your universe?
I love working there. The landscapes are barely colored, the Atlantic shadows, fleeting clouds, the setting sun… I love it all: waiting for the rain to stop, for the sun to put on its lampshade… The light is so changeable, sparkling, it bursts on the rocks, roofs, faces. Then, in a flash, everything becomes gray, soft, velvety. The landscape seems drawn in ink, without relief, without shadow. I’ve always had a taste for these lights, and this space without grass, without trees. A space without season where I can play with rain and fair weather. Trouville has probably taught me patience, optimism, and the joy of well-crafted illusions.
Is capturing the essence of beauty primarily a matter of patience?
Yes, patience, but it’s not the patience of a hunt or a stakeout. It’s a patience mixed with surrender, keeping the eye open enough to aim right before the magical moment silently slips away.
How do you bring out a deep and genuine emotion in a staged portrait?
Do you think staging is less moving than real life? That setting up compromises spontaneity and innocence? You’d be surprised by the density of emotions that surface through the patient work of setting up…
What’s the most unexpected photograph you’ve taken?
None, I’ve never felt that way.
What makes an image timeless, in your opinion?
An image or object that amazed your great-grandmother and will continue to move your great-great-nephews across the globe, one that defies the powerful waves of fashion, style, endless selections, and moral judgments. Then, an image takes its place on humanity’s shelf and, in turn, becomes a marker for other timeless images. A showcase of a civilization, in essence.
Have you taken all the photos you’ve dreamed of?
No, I would have loved to photograph Brigitte Bardot, Marlon Brando, the statues of Easter Island, and the countless creatures that moved me deeply when I saw them… All these apparitions that disappear like ghosts because I was daydreaming and didn’t pull out my iPhone fast enough.
What are you proudest of in your career?
I’m not proud, sometimes happy, and that’s complicated enough as it is! But perhaps… the next photograph.
Un entretien de Maïlys Derville
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