Edouard Mazaré began photographing at age 16. He had very quickly become fascinated with images, be it drawings, graphic design, or photography. At 20, he got his first camera and engaged in a more regular practice. From seaside to wedding photos, he never let an opportunity slip by. Upon graduating from the School of Fine Arts, he began working as a graphic artist even while continuing his photography practice. The balance between the two worlds he is passionate about is at the heart of his series Onirik: “Doing graphic design through photography,” as he puts it.
It’s been almost three years since Edouard Mazaré perfected his capture technique which makes it possible to create the effect of oneiric superpositions with a single click. He says it really made something click in his mind. One morning, he had a revelation. He did some tests. The results were promising, but called for greater control. At the time, he was artistic director at Publicis. Guided by his inspiration and the excitement of the potential of this technique, Edouard Mazé quit his job to devote himself full time to this new adventure. This is how he began the audacious project that became his Onirik series.
Edouard Mazaré recalls that during his career as a graphic artist he would spend a lot of time in front of a screen operating powerful image-editing software. Using his photographic technique, he manages to bypass all that and set aside visual tricks. With his project Onirik, he currently focuses on understanding the locations he photographs. Observing and analyzing space where he works constitutes a primordial phase in his creative process.
EdouardMazaré seeks to create an imprint of the atmosphere of the place. His technique allows him to inscribe an atmospheric experience of the location onto a tangible dimension. The superposition of images creates an impression of multiple exposures and is strangely reminiscent of the way we view our own memories. Edouard Mazaré thus manages to come close to the visual aspect of dreams and memory. When we think about the places of our childhood, we see them, recognize them, but are unable to perceive them with precision. We get an impression of reality created by the illusion of visibility. The photographs that make up the project Onirik allow us to briefly contemplate places through images that speak the same language as our minds: it’s like taking a stroll through unknown memories.
Joséphine Faisant
Joséphine Faisant is a writer specializing in photography. She lives and works in Athens, where she discovers local talents.
