Nyx My Samaritaine 2013

Samaritaine - Nyx #8

Carte blanche for Grands Magasins de La Samaritaine in Paris

Excerpt from the book Samaritaines, about Nyx series

As another group of large, set-like floors marked by the architectural designs that recall the different stages of its evolution, La Samaritaine was immediately a space on a par with his vision. Precisely, and with a sure sense of the building’s grandeur, he composed images that move beyond, but still respect the documentary dimension of lyrical work. Alternating between high- and low-angle shots, framing wide, exploring perspectives, and waiting for the light to sculpt the elements of the decor, he looked at – and saw – the spaces as a grandiose stage set. Scenery that seems to be awaiting a contemporary opera, perhaps, or a battle between characters from afar, probably spectacular events, proportionate – or disproportionate – to the space.

Christian Caujolle