How are you experiencing the lockdown?
I'm in St Barth, at home with my family, with an open, airy house and a sea view. Complaining about these conditions would be indecent compared to what many people are experiencing elsewhere in France and around the world. No one in my household has been infected. We don't go out, except for food shopping. I feel like I spend my life cooking. For the past few days, I've been trying to stop myself from cutting my own hair. For now, I'm holding out.
What is your state of mind?
My state of mind varies depending on the time of day:
- Annoyance at how the French government is managing the situation,
- Frustration at not being able to take photos with the superb weather we've had for six weeks,
- Optimism about "flattening the curve," according to the fashionable expression, and the few/no cases officially recorded on the island,
- Worry about what comes next: tourism, the art market, increasing inequalities, etc.,
- Optimism again because... well... there's no other choice.
Is this lockdown experience having an impact on your artistic approach?
A photographer is always/sometimes/often... looking to take the photo that has never been taken, to find the idea that doesn't exist yet. It's a kind of Holy Grail. An idea can emerge, it seems wonderful at the time, not so terrible a little while later. Or the opposite: an idea matures quietly, until it appears as an obvious truth. I try to think in that direction, mainly in architectural photography and portraits.
As it's been talked about a lot lately, I too have tried the "re-center energies, return to Earth, philosophical-holistic introspection" approaches... honestly: it's not working great.
Are you creating during the lockdown? If so, can you tell us about your new works?
Due to the situation, nothing new at the moment, but I'm improving through online training and tests I do on my own, so I can be ready as soon as the context allows.