Growing up in France, being surrounded by the history and architecture of Paris, the grand decaying beauty of former centuries left an early impression on me that still influences my work to this day.
History, architecture and religion are the driving forces that inspire me to create,
to communicate the world as I see it. Places of worship of all denominations have always held a fascination for me. Churches, temples, mosques : they are the custodians for hope, fear, angst and the ultimate search for truth. Sadly, religion is one of the greatest simultaneously unifying and divisive manmade forces on earth. Through my work I try to navigate around the institution of religion and capture the essence, that which is universal in all them: the universal desire of the soul, the search for Oneness.
I’ve traveled to places such as India, Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), Jerusalem, Italy and France to photograph religious sights and other subjects that move me.
I am always awestruck and humbled by the beauty on this earth, both natural and manmade.
But it’s the later subjects I find so compelling to work with because they contain such truth and yearning and such contradiction.
Ultimately I seek to engage the viewer towards an intimate experience, a contemplative exploration of solitude and spirit.
My work is rich in ancient and personal symbolism. I choose subjects with the aim to invoke a desire for closer inspection, perhaps inspiring a moment of stillness.
I find working with imagery in series creates a visual mantra in which the solitary image can begin to take on a different meaning when presented in sequence. I find great freedom in creating harmoniously disrupted symmetry. It feels honest and real. A place I can live in. Exploring the dialogue it creates in this elusive realm is my artistic intention.
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