Seán McGirr
“Photographer based in Paris, from Dublin, Ireland. After graduating in Fashion at Central Saint Martins in London in 2014, I moved to Tokyo to work as a stylist. This is where I started to photograph seriously. I arrived in Paris in 2017 to work as a stylist, and now I share my time between fashion and photography. ”
Two series presented for the prize: The Léon Cladel and Chasing Nature
The Léon Cladel is a public space where young skaters meet. I saw this place near my house when I went to the office in the morning. I started by following and photographing Caesar and Ulysses, identical twins whose explosive jumps in the air reminded me of Nijinsky in the Ballets Russes. I was really attracted by this place because it seemed to me to be a ‘safe space’ where young people could gather, express themselves in incredible gestures.
Subcultures exist less and less. I photograph these young people for almost a year, with the aim of highlighting their frank, raw and genuine enthusiasm. I use objects found in the street, such as broken mirrors, raven feathers, and recycled vintage coats. The intention of this series is to show that young skaters display a perfectly natural elegance, through their movements and gestures.
Chasing Nature
After two years in Tokyo, I had witnessed complete seasonal changes. I wanted to capture the essence of a boy who falls in love with nature. According to the Japanese Shinto tradition, the divine spiritual power infuses animate and inanimate objects, from human beings to trees through rivers and rocks. I think humans are not separate from nature and we should sometimes rethink our perception of it. Nowadays, we have generally lost the sense of closeness to nature. If we returned to our original way of seeing nature, we could improve our environmental problems quickly. This series of photos deals with both the boy’s energy and the trees.
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