Laurence Demaison

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My next steps: I want to create my own box construction or experiment more with the one I have already used. I don't want as much materials included in the box, to make it less busy. But the materials I do use, I would like to use different ones, to see how they look all together. I will also focus on taking my images from more of a variety of angles and close-ups, as my previous images were mostly taken from the same face on, eye level angle. Laurence Demaison is a French experimental photographer and visual artist who works mostly with self-portraits. She has a particular interest in the female portrait and body. (Galerie BMG, 2009) The body, given its formidable expressive power and unending versatility, is an inexhaustible and deeply engaging subject. And when we use our own body, it is capable of responding instantaneously and with minute accuracy to the ever-changing action/reaction that modulates the flow of conception, without the losses in transmission inherent in the use of a model." - Miguel Ribeiro ( http://www.miguelribeirophoto.com/video.html ) Originally, Demaison worked with a model, but she eventually began taking photos only of herself, partly to limit expenses. “She doesn’t feel that they’re self-portraits at all,” notes Bernard Gerson, director of Galerie BMG. “They’re not about her. She’s using the reflecting and distorting qualities of the water or the glossy paper to make phantoms, ghosts of herself. She disappears from the image.”

Her technical virtuosity leads us to art that revels in the extremes of visual perception. Demaison’s photographs remind me of the distortions of Kertesz, the inventive playfulness of Man Ray and Moholy-Nagy, and the multiple perspectives of the Cubists — but her work is clearly her own. Un corpo di fotografie meravigliosamente stravaganti realizzate senza trucchi digitali. Immagini che sembrano piegare la luce e il tempo, distorcere l’aspetto e produrre messaggi codificati nelle riflessioni, nelle rifrazioni multiple, nelle ripetizioni visive e nei gesti che si fanno luce come macchie tra le tenebre. Bill Brandt was a British photographer (born in Germany) who was most famously known for capturing British life in the 20th century. Brandt's work stood out to me, by the way he manipulates the a section of the body, to link with the location the image was taken. From these images of his below, I realise that many of his images are taken from a low angle, sometimes floor level. I'm interested that he decided to take the majority of these images outside, using natural light and a wide-angled camera. This would be quite technically difficult as most of these pictures at the beach were taken whilst it was raining and windy, however it looks as though, they were taken during sunny weather, because of the high contrasts in the images. I think I will find it harder to rely on natural light, as the weather is mostly cloudy. I would like to experiment using both natural and artificial light, to refine down my ideas and style of images. A solution to the weather problem would be to just use the flash, to really emphasise the tones, textures and shapes of the body. From the 1940's Brandt completely changed his style of photography, from capturing post-WW2 to the female body.For the 7th installment in this series, we’re presenting you with the 2002 edition of the Prix HSBC pour la Photographie (then known as the Prix de la Fondation CCF pour la Photographie). Famous French publisher Robert Delpire was appointed its artistic advisor. The winning photographers were Rip Hopkins (UK) and Laurence Demaison (FR). We spoke with Laurence Demaison about her experience with the prize and the effect it had on her career. Sometimes strange ways lead you to great art. I came across the works of French photographer Laurence Demaison by accident, as I was listening to music and found myself amazed by the beautiful cover of the latest IAMX single Happiness. I traced the artist down and found an impressive photography portfolio of which I’d like to share some images with you today. Since the 1990s, the photographs of Laurence Demaison have gone beyond the genre of self-portrait to offer a deeply original vision that is at once multi-faceted and coherent. Although for many artists the representation of the self remains a sublime reflection of the author, here Demaison deforms her body and face, creating an otherness that conceals her true image. There’s a Surrealist touch to these series, which bear comic titles reminding the viewer that it’s all an invention. The representation of the body is the source of a long process of experimentation. Demaison draws on the technical possibilities of film, playing with exposure times, the focus, the contrast and the negative to create fascinating and singular images. Laurence Demaison : It was a magical experience! From the very first moment, when Robert Delpire called me in person. (I still haven’t recovered!)

Ces dernières années, Laurence Demaison oriente ses recherches vers une démarche plasticienne, expose ses dessins et conçoit des sculptures dans un univers proche des séries photographiques qui l’ont fait connaitre. Elle s’autorise l’utilisation de mannequins comme modèles de ses photographies, ce qui lui permet de dépasser les limites de l’autoportrait et de concevoir des mises en scènes spectaculaires. Avec une maitrise totale du noir et blanc, de la prise de vue au tirage, la photographe joue avec les limites du medium comme dans ses monotypes, autoportraits directs au flash métamorphosés en épreuves uniques et lumineuses. Pour cette exposition, la photographe a sélectionné des travaux récents et des tirages de ce qu’elle appelle ses "petits parachutes", ébauches de séries ou prises de vues isolées dont elle a redécouvert les négatifs. From a strictly imagistic standpoint, Demaison approaches the process of photographic picture-making as an occasion for extraordinary formal invention. From a conceptual standpoint, she treats the photographic negative (and the resulting print) as a stage for the performance of an action invisible to the eye, often one of considerable duration by conventional standards.” Demaison's work has a direct view on to the model for a more serious take on distortion. In the first image, the water is on a rule of third leading and boxing off the models face. The waters brim is also on a rule of third also boxing the model in. The studio lighting seems to above the model creating smooth shadows. I believe that the depth of field is was taken at an f8giving smooth lines merging itself and the water. I purvey that Demaison had taken these images with a slow shutter speed, making the photos blurrier creating smoother lines. My favourite image of hers, is the top right. I really like this one, as the majority of the photograph, is lighter tones. But when the darker tones do appear, they really stand out. I want to try and focus a lot on tones and different ways of using lighting, to create an image that makes the viewer feel something emotionally, just through the tones. LODLP : Can you tell us about your winning project? Has the prize had an influence on your subsequent work ?Refusant la facilité de Photoshop, le photographe construit patiemment ses mises en scènes, avec une grande exigence formelle. Dotées d’une forte charge symbolique, ses photographies sont autant de paraboles - volontiers dérangeantes - sur la condition humaine, nourries d’empathie et d’ironie.