Compositions
Photoseries 2004 - 2011
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« life is to pass from one space to another
trying as much as possible not to bump into things» Georges Perec
Without being conscious of it, as we remember things, we store their position in space. These memories help us situate ourselves in the present and they guide us as we move around. Only the briefest glance is needed for an object to evoke a function, a gesture, an alarm, a desire, perhaps a memory. Sight is a sense, unlike the others, that in a split second offers a multitude of perceptions. To contain this overdose of impressions, our curiosity must bow to reason and doze off a bit. Life creates habits, and our overwhelming vision of the world is constantly numbed. We are deprived by our intelligence and memory of the complexities of matter, the intimacy of each thing by the necessary synthesizing of how we read our life space.
«Jean-Jacques Béguin doesn’t question the world, he shows it» Lionel Navarro
In a world where photographic representations rarely frame more than spectacle, I want my graphic artifices to give the viewer the freedom to perceive outside the constraints imposed by the ordinary, daily routine, to offer the possibility to decode the intimate and sensual surfaces and forms that make up the rich complexity of the world.
By proposing de-structured images to the viewer in which the temporal nature of things is negligible, by imposing a benevolent corruption of perspective and banal spatial order, I offer the possibility of an alternative reading. And it is each viewer’s intelligence and unique approach to understanding or deciphering these illustrations that interact to give the work its real meaning.
The choice of subjects
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Few subjects have escaped my photographic diligence. Certain themes, such as streets and byways, immense trees, and architectural subjects, have often suggested themselves. Recesses of space located in the obscure side of our field of view, such as floors and shadows that dance on them, as well as arches and ceilings have drawn my particular attention. And facades interest me in a singular manner. Already the alignment of their openings, the motifs inherent in the stone, the glass or the steel suggest a structure and rhythm to my composition. In addition, there are the multiple relationships that one has with the faces of a structure. We are often intrigued by what is beyond the façade, the mysterious inventory of objects that might be found behind it, the nature of human activities taking place outside our view. Facades also serve as beacons and guide us on our way. If building were books, their facades would be their covers. By their materials and ornamentation, they invite the imagination to enter the unseen spaces and create histories of their epoch and of those who they sheltered.
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Taking the pictures:
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My compositions are comprised of multiple photos, from one to three hundred, taken in low definition with a digital camera. The photo sessions usually happen rather quickly, although occasionally several days are needed. In relation to the subject being photographed, I either hold a fixed position myself or move a fixed distance for each shot. The camera itself is also free to sweep through space either in an orderly manner or not. The degree of structural conformity of the subject in the final assembly of images is thus highly variable.
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Composing the final image:
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Using computer facilities, the photos are positioned from left to right inside a square perimeter in the same order that the photos were taken (although these three rules are periodically ignored). .At this stage, four out of five image series are abandoned. The surviving compositions are subsequently treated as a single image. The final editing of these photo inventories involves working on particular inherent qualities, use of color and accenting particular details.
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The photoseries are printed using pigment inks. They are available in three formats, numbered from 1 to 15 (total for all formats).