Janie Julien-Fort

Je m’intéresse à la matière photosensible dans un contexte dominé par les procédés numériques. Je m’approprie des techniques anciennes et alternatives comme le transfert polaroid, les procédés photomécaniques et le sténopé pour créer des images marquées par les particularités propres aux procédés analogiques. Je m’interroge sur le rapport affectif qu’on entretient avec l’image lorsqu’elle semble disparaître. Les traces que laissent les accidents sur la surface fragile de la pellicule et du papier m’attirent particulièrement. Les cicatrices apparentes nous ramènent à la fragilité de notre corps, de nos souvenirs et de nos repères.

I am interested in photosensitive materials in a context dominated by digital imaging processes. I work with ancient and alternative techniques such as Polaroid transfer, photomechanical processes and pinhole cameras in order to create images marked by the specific features of analog processes. I have been collecting these photosensitive traces for years, as they are the raw material used in my assemblages. My intention is to create installations, paths and constellations of images on themes that are closely linked to photography : trace and memory, appearing and vanishing, fixity and movement, light and shadows, the sign and the icon, reality and illusion. I question what makes us emotionally connected to images that seem to be fading away. The traces generated by accidents on the delicate surface of the film captivate me. The exposed scars remind us of the fragility of our own bodies, memories and points of reference. Putting away the images for several years allows me to create intriguing visual compositions. The delay between taking the pictures and printing them being quite long makes me see them in a whole different light. This helps in producing new spaces filled with ghosts, light flashes, dust and scratches that disclose indiscernible stories.