London, 2010. Still trying to escape (Paris)

Sunday picnic in a street of Hong Kong in 2008 (Paris)

Senegal, 2010. I feel like standing in front of a wall... (Paris)

Lisbon vision (from Paris)

Amandine told me about her woman's life during an intense shoot in her new place (Paris)

After visiting Antoine d'Agata's photo exhibition in the afternoon, Julie and I saw "Le crocodile trompeur" (a very sophisticated and funny play) at Le Theatre des Bouffes du Nord (Paris)

Today, I received a book from my dear friend Sandra. I loved the message included in the mail box (Paris)

"Obviously books do not provide the answer.

In the best case they are a light.

As beautiful and necessary as the night might be

It can also be so much dark and deep."

Translated from French by Adélaïde Gomes

Vision (Paris)

After working on an art postcards and posters project with my friend Eddy, I walked to the park to relax (Paris)

Sunny basketball field (Paris)

A whole day shooting for Harper's Bazaar UK with my assistant Anthony (Paris)

Jonas in the morning (Paris)

Shot in a mirror. Gare de l'Est (Paris)

Commissioned portrait shoot representing Damien Noury (Paris)

It's obviously still winter here. But some trees seem to ignore it (Paris)

Looking for models for my next Chroniques Purple post (Paris)

Cooking Haitian rice for my friends (Paris)

In a Parisian bus

Grey week end in Normandy 2 (France)

Grey week end in Normandy 1 (France)

Congo vision two, and a drawing my son Jonas gave me (Paris)

Congo vision one (From Paris)

Last day in London, drinking tea in a bar between two professional meetings (London)

After a whole day going from a meeting to another, I joined my friend the creative director Michael Olu Odukoya at his studio. We went to a pub to drink wine and beer and had an endless talk about art and photography (London)

View from my hotel room early in the morning. It was supposed to rain, but the weather seems ok (London)

My father (with his granddaughter Angela). One of his old friends just had a devastating stroke (Paris)

Vision (Paris)

Texte

Roger Landu live in Paris, 2012

INSPIRATION

Ceux qui connaissent l’excellent orchestre de Kinshasa Staff Benda Bilili ont sans doute remarqué Roger Landu, le jeune prodige qui a conçu son propre instrument (le satonge) à l’aide d’une boîte de conserve.

En visionnant le film relatant l’émouvante success story qui a conduit le Staff des abords du zoo de Kinshasa à une carrière internationale, j’ai été impressionné par le talent de ce tout jeune artiste.

Les dernières secondes de Mwana dans l’album Très Très Fort, sont littéralement hantées par un des solos dont il a le secret.

Je l’ai écouté de façon obsessionnelle, comme pour tenter d’en percer le mystère.

Avec le bourdonnement d’une guêpe démente, sa sonorité sur aigue et obsédante semble défier les lois de l’équilibre. Elle flirte avec le surnaturel et la dissonance,  délivrant une énergie jubilatoire.

Ce solo me semble appartenir à un monde à part, un espace de créativité inouïe, très éloignée de toutes conventions esthétiques.

A chaque écoute, il libère en moi le désir de repousser mes limites, d’élargie le champ de mes recherches vers d’autres territoires.