Return to VASA Main Page
VASA Front Page Exhibition #68
VASA Front Page Exhibitions presents the work of emerging and established photographers, video or sound artists.
Cecil B and Leodium est Fauto/Graphe
(Belgium)
"#Sensu.Elle&Lui"
© Cecil B and Leodium est Fauto/Graphe
> View Exhibition "#Sensu.Elle&Lui"
Curator: Stefania Zorzi
Artist Statement:
Boris:
When I contacted Cécile in September 2021, I already had a project in mind on male sensuality following a sort of "Face to face" with a friend : "Boris, you have a problem with other people's bodies and even more so with their nude representation in images...". I had the idea of approaching/examining this via the self-portrait and the mirrors ... To get involved in it physically/concretely ... I was already thinking of Dorian Gray ... Not yet of Mappelthorpe. That's why I wanted to discuss with Cécile, since it was part of her practice. To clarify in my mind the direction of this project... She accepted an appointment... 1st meeting!
Cécile:
I remember the message from Boris who asked to meet me to discuss photography. He talked about self-portraits via mirrors, about my way of doing things... I don't think he had talked about sensuality yet. We met in front of one ... In front of two coffees ... We didn't talk much about "technique" but on the other hand, we exchanged on the way of perceiving self-portraits: the role of the viewer, the role of the viewed, the fact that the viewer puts in what he wants/desires/imagines ... A common vision of what photography is in general too: Japanese photography, its black and whites, a commitment, proposing what one likes to do and not what works. Boris already had his project in focus ... We quickly came to the fact that the landscape of self-portraits was polluted by tons of images of women, often (ultra)sexualised to the detriment of subtlety. But also that men were either absent or ... body-built kids ... We are both 47 years old!
Boris:
The absence of men was mentioned when we talked about the idea of sensuality in the (self)portraits that are circulating. The fact that very little subtlety was also present in these "feminine" images ... It is with this conversation I think that I became aware of the importance of "the" subtlety precisely, of the non-posed static, not like in studio, of photos taken in everyday life ... This will indeed be the essence of my initial project ... I therefore launched into this Some.One.In.Front.Of.Me with the leitmotiv "Can a man's self/portrait be artistic, sensual or carnal?” Cécile was following the project ... It was motivating to have her feedback ... Later, the idea of sharing this project and making it concrete came naturally.
 |
 |
 |
Cécile:
Boris wanted to present his project on "masculine" sensuality and this idea of restoring a balance, of changing the general vision of a non-genre sensuality ... He proposed to me to do it together, on the model of exchange, of a balance ... I said "Why not! "... We had just brought together our common universes centred on the self-portrait to choose together, in this new space composed of our own images, those that according to us should (re)define what sensuality is: a non-sexed concept first of all, ... Non-sexualised and non-gendered
above all. Based on the exchange of emotions, of desires carried by subtle images, speaking to the imagination and its power of auto-suggestion. It became obvious when we put the images together: balance, correspondence, subtlety, harmony, ... Images that respond to each other well beyond a simple copy/paste ...
We let you discover it ... "
> View Exhibition "#Sensu.Elle&Lui"
Links of Cécile | Cecil B
FB https://www.facebook.com/CecilBphotography
Insta https://www.instagram.com/cecilbphotography
Web https://www.cecilb-photography.com
Links of Boris | Leodium est Fauto/Graphe
FB https://www.facebook.com/boris.verrechia
Insta https://www.instagram.com/leodium.est.fautographe
Insta https://www.instagram.com/some.one.in.front.of.me (for this project)
Web https://www.leodium.net
@ Cecil B and Leodium est Fauto/Graphe