FACE to FACE

HOW DO HISTORY, COLLECTIVE MEMORY AND OUR

OWN REAL OR FANTASY MEMORIES LIVE TOGETHER,

INSIDE EACH OF US?

 

I am obsessed with family stories and, more broadly, with the way in which the history of human beings repeats itself ad infinitum. From an invisible thread that I draw, my work is a research on atavism and on the layers of memories that constitute all of us. In my work, I constantly confront, repeat and superimpose my photographic archives with those of my ancestors.

 

The TWO-FACED PORTRAITS presented in this series are a

combination of self-portraits and portraits that I found in

a trunk which belonged to my grandmother. The artworks

are in lenticulars form :

From the front, you can see a hybrid image mixing both portraits while you see a black and white face from one side of the work and a colourful face on the other. Mixing contemporary images with analogue photographs taken at the beginning of the History of photography, we cross time and generations in just two side steps.

The similarities in poses and physical resemblances I have with my ancestors highlight the idea that our family history has an

impact on our personality and our way of being in the world while also emphasizing our common humanity.

My artistic work explores these themes by inviting the viewer

to reflect on their own family heritage and how it has shaped their identity.

Attached are photos of six completed «lenticulars». The exhibition project will feature 10 «double-sided» portraits.

Each of these lenticulars will be made life-size and displayed in a paulownia wood frame-box. All the frames are the same size (335/435/35mm) and will be arranged in a single line so that the eyes of the portraits are about 160 cm from the ground.

The ideal presentation would be a small room where the viewer would be surrounded by these moving portraits. With each step, the angle of view changes and different characters appear. I am attaching 2 simulations of the exhibition, one in a round room, the other in a square room of 2m side.

Titles are the first names of the characters and the shooting’s year.

Check video examples of lenticulars on Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/armellekergall/

or on my website : http://www.armellekergall.com/lenticulairesvilla