Selfportrait saying "NO" (Paris)

Today, I traveled by train from Paris to Cognac with Remy Martin's PR Gaia Sanchez to shoot the Cellar Master Pierrette Trichet for Port magazine. We've seen the snow falling on our way back (France)

Text/ Portrait of a woman

 

TANIA

Set in the higher region of a pale, elongated face, her blue eyes devour the surrounding world with a surprising mobility. Her carefully plumped lips, an eccentric pink, come to life and uncover the immaculate teeth of a woman still spared from aging.

A peculiar thing, when she talks, her nostrils palpitate just enough to alter the architecture of her nose. Her delicate silhouette is capped with a free flowing, reddish mane.

Her entire being exudes impatience. As if the world refused her the place it owed her. No resentment in her look, however, no trace of bitterness. The impetuousness, muted and volcanic, of unappeased hopes consumes her entirely, to the point of stiffening her slender body.

Her spontaneity is stupefying. The art of deceit, so well mastered by Parisian women, is just as foreign to her as their over-refined clothing.

While she reveals herself without reservation, under the soft restaurant light, a nervous choreography propels her large hands.

I look at her intensely.

It seems to me that as soon as she overcomes the disorder that troubles her, when life has polished the rough rock of her temperament, she will have courage of a patient matron. Women who give, at the risk of forgetting themselves a little, the best of what they have to the next generation. 

  
Text published in my book Spirit (2008)
Translated from French by Nicolas Allinder 

Jonas playing with his mother's I Phone (Paris)

In 1983 at the montain with my friend Nicolas. I was already trying to earn my living with photography (Paris)

Mehdi Labdouni is a boxing trainer. I photographed him for Portrait Lab during a magazine's portrait/fashion shoot. "Why me? Because of my nose?", he asked. I did because he carries on his face something as strong as what I felt looking at his students training (Paris)

A drawing I've done representing a woman I used to be very close to, and haven't seen for a long time... (Paris)

Oualid Belaoura is training for boxing in the bantamweight category. I met him at L'INSEP during a spotting for a men magazine shoot (Paris)

A portrait of Isabella Tannock the day before she goes back home to Australia (Paris)

Guislain Leroy is my brother. We don't see each other very often. We met today at my father's place for a Sunday lunch. I was pleased to talk with him about tradition, modernity and... family troubles (Paris)

Alexandre Michelin is General Director of MSN Europe. I knew him a long time ago, when he was still directing a French television channel programme. I visited him this afternoon and after we had a passionate talk about photography and internet, he introduced me his new born daughter Nina (Paris)

My friend Jeff Rian, home, playing guitar while I was shooting for Apartamento magazine (Paris)

Homeless (Paris)

I was really pleased to have a drink with my friend Jules Zingg, this afternoon, talking about cinema and life. I haven't seen him for a long time (Paris)

Jonas communicating by Skype with his Holland based cousin (Paris)

Isabella Tannock comes from Australia. While visiting Paris, she asked me to photograph her. I did it because I think she's got much more than a pretty baby face (Paris)

Jonas (who joined me with his mother for the week-end) just before leaving Brussels for Paris (Belgium)

It's a small world. Today I ran into the photographer Guy Van Laer having a drink at a Brussels bar terrace. Last time I saw him ( 2 years ago) he was my digital assistant in Cape Town. This guy is really good at telling stories and can be extremely funny (Belgium)

GUEST: Alizé Meurisse

   This is my brother's friend Edouard, together they play video games (Text and drawing Alizé Meurisse. Paris)

Emmanuel Debroise is an introverted man. He commissioned me to shoot a portrait series in Brussels. We had a great time talking about photography, art and projects. He's so discreet he doesn't want his name to appear with his face (Belgium)

A man at work. "I'm not photogenic", he said, just after I shot him. And then he smiled (Brussels)

GUEST: Alizé Meurisse

   Selfportrait as someone else. My mother got me this bright red lipstick for Xmas this year. I never wear any make up. But the colour makes me think of Frida Kahlo (Text and drawing Alizé Meurisse. Paris)

GUEST: Alizé Meurisse

   Gérard Berréby is my publisher (éditions Allia) ; he says he can still remember the light, the exact time and place where he was the first time I called him back after we met. a train station. He was one of the first people to believe in me (Text and drawing Alizé Meurisse. Paris)

This afternoon, after an other MMM shoot, I ran into Warren Guetta, having a cup of coffee at the terrace of the bar where he works. He told me his mother used to love Warren Beatty. That may be one of the reasons why he wants to be an actor (Paris)

This is only the second time I work with the hair dresser Olivier de Vriendt. I photographed him just after a Maison Martin Margiela photo shoot. I just felt like doing it (Paris)

GUEST: Alizé Meurisse

   This is my brother Timothee, he was quite concentrated studying for his exams. When he saw the drawing and said "oh... t'es forte!" it felt like going back in time. Having a brother made me grow, he made me want to be a hero (Text and drawing Alizé Meurisse. Paris)

SEDUCE ME 2 / REGINA

I asked the fascinating Régina Denima to seduce me. I knew she was sensual. But I must admit I've been surprised by her ability to play with my camera, making the experience of shooting her intense and enjoyable (Paris).

More info about the SEDUCE ME video project in the 19/09/2011 post

GUEST: Alizé Meurisse

   Benjamin comes over, smokes a cigar, we talk, watch silly videos on the internet, there's always a new story, a new idea, we've only known each other for about a year but I can already say he changed my life. (He's also the other half of my rap band, 'iiiight)

(Text and drawing Alizé Meurisse. Paris)

Allô?.... (Paris)

Proof from "Regards Noirs", my first portrait book printing - 1996 - For those who disappeared, RIP (Paris)

GUEST

GUEST
 

For 5 days from monday 9th of january, I will have the pleasure to host the work of the young talented artist Alizé Meurisse on this blog. She will be expressing her personal vision of portrait through her beautiful and poetic drawings.
Welcome Alizé and thanks in advance for sharing with us.

AND VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYBODY !
Translated from French by Adélaïde Gomes

Who exactly is Vincent Choc? "The first Dj-writer", he said. Cool guy. He looks a bit like R.G, a friend of mine (Paris)

Working on my new website. A portrait I shot on my way to the lab. And a picture from the editing of my Haïti project (Paris)

The poetry of the writer and visual artist Alizé Meurisse's face may come from a perfect balance between vulnerability and strength (Paris)

Ziggie Brun is Danish, and comes from New-York. She looks like a Chinese girl when she laughs, but when you look at her face carefully, her soul seems older than she is. I like her style and personality (Paris)

A drawing representing me made in Hong Kong by my friend Iris Au (Paris)

Jonas reading in his bed just before his first night of 2012 (Paris)