The inaugural fire, lit on-site in 1986 as a homage to the rising sun, sparked the genesis of my large-scale burnt wood drawings, also born from the land itself.
Since the fire itself—used to shape my drawings—escapes the camera’s eye, I began setting blazes in wild places and forgotten industrial grounds. Fire, in the words of Gaston Bachelard, is ultra-alive; a force of ritual and real presence.
From 2015 onwards, having always had access to the negatives, I began walking alongside the notion of blue fire.
(See also the texts written about Blue Fire by various contributors in 'Writings')
Fires
Fire drawings
Réalisés pour le film Eternel regard (voir le film dans le thème Bois Brûlé), la série des 35 dessins y apparaît comme dans un dessin animé.
SMN FEUX, movie
A fiction created in 1994 in response to the closure of the Caen steelworks.
la SMN (14).
A ritual—Farewell, SMN—centered on disappearance.
I carried out the filming in public space, with amateurs stepping into the role of actors for the occasion.
Publication of a book: La Grande Veilleuse, by Jean-Michel Place Editions, including the fiction and interviews with steelworkers.
