Une image vaut mille mots
Livre d’art, impression au jet d’encre et papier photographique non fixé (2021)
Books, like photographs, record and index, and are often meant to archive. Conceptually, this project is in keeping with this idea of archiving at the heart of books, photographs and works of art. I burned books which were archived in my library. With the ashes I produced lumens – contact prints on light-sensitive paper – which photographically recorded the content of the books. The format of this book, a box of photographic archives, can hold five digital reproductions of lumens in the original 8 x 10 format. The box serves as both content and container, with a frame making it possible to see one of the photographs. The photographs can also be taken out of the box to be handled and arranged to the “reader’s” taste. An original lumen is placed on the book’s front cover. Because a lumen is neither developed nor fixed, each time the image is exposed to the light it will change, until it becomes completely black. This natural “fade out to black” is a reminder of the impermanent nature of books and photographs.