Photo of the Week – François Gillet – ”Sea-slug Dreaming”

”Sea-slug Dreaming” or Comp. 45

• by François Gillet

This week, we are proud and honored to present a work by renowed photographer François Gillet, to whom we express our gratitude.

”Sea-slug Dreaming”
or Comp. 45

© François Gillet

[click on photo to enlarge]

• About ”Sea-slug Dreaming”

Extraordinary calligraphy from the sea-slugs in the sand in the water-holes, hieroglyph from Ancient Egypt, Aboriginal painting, signs from the unknown? Strangely I saw very similar shapes from the air, 10.000 meters away..
If I could bring forward the sacred from our Earth

The ”Sea-slug Dreaming” is a mosaic made of 9 pictures, part of a triptych ”Le Pays du Rêve” made in its turn of 3x9x9 pictures in total 243 pictures

In the beginning of 2007, in a deep urge for new experiences and inspiration, we went off, my ”muse” and I, on a three months journey through the Australian continent. I slowly gathered at first a book of studies which soon revealed to be an inspiring journey in form, colour and abstraction. Back to Sweden, I spent the rest of the year going through this amazing material and came to the idea of gathering the photos into mosaics, which suddenly provided me with a huge narrative possibility. This first work ”Beyond Mystery Bay” has eyes wide-opened on nature and the untouched, but also reveals that nature herself has eyes on you. Little by little I became aware of the Aboriginal philosophy, their devotion and respect for Mother Earth and could not help but returning to Australia, to carry on with my work, only this time I was aware of the Dreamtime. So we drove another 3 months through this huge continent, feeling, observing, searching.
Since our return in april 08, I have not stopped working on my new material. Few times in life have I felt such energy. The technique I used for this new work does contrasts with my usual 10×8 large-format camera; a light digital camera which allows full spontaneity. But gathering my mosaics is not unlike my studio compositions. The actual ”weaving” of these simple pictures provide me with an unlimited amount of possibilities. Very much like composing music. Through the years I have never manipulated neither retouched any of my pictures. I am only trying to show what is there and beyond.

Last november I was able to show an installation of an early version of ”Pays du Rêve” at the Stockholm Photo-Fair, just for one week-end.

François Gillet

• Biographical note

François Gillet was born in Normandy. In his teens, he crossed the Channel and studied language and commerce in Bournemouth. Although his prime interest had always been painting, in the late sixties, he took up a three- year course in photography at the Bournemouth & Poole College of Art and Design.

His persistent taste for the unusual took him to Sweden in his early twenties. It was there that he discovered the large-format camera, which was to become his main tool.

After several impressive publications in French Zoom magazine François Gillet started working internationally. He shows an ability to feel at ease with demanding subjects, the non spectacular, one could say the banalities, judging that banality does not exist, but is barely due to our own perception. His approach is contemplative, which also often means, time-consuming.

François Gillet lives in the “margin” of a bigger city, only half an hour from the centre, on a small island just outside Stockholm.

François Gillet

• François Gillet – Homepage

Stampfli & Turci – Art Dealers

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~ by Stampfli & Turci on May 25, 2009.