ON TOUR
> April 09 : Alliance Française of Cape Town
> May 09 : Alliance Française of Durban
> June 09 : Alliance Française of Maseru (Lesotho)
> July 09 : Alliance Française of Johannesburg then Pretoria - opening on the 1st of July in Johannesburg
> August 09 : Alliance Française of Mbabane (Swaziland)
For more information
Contact Pauline :
culture.jhb@alliance.org.za
011 646 1169
Can Art be found in imperfection and unexpected ?
Aurélie Biewesch, photographer, who is a graphic designer, went to the "4 corners of the globe" to search for the authenticity of diverse cultures through the viewfinder of her cameras.
From this passion for the poor-quality photo, more commonly known as "lomography", intense snapshots both in contrast and colour were born. Her faulty camera bodies encourage instinctive and spontaneous usage. From these come incidents of light, halos, superimposition, unexpected colours… These results counter the pixel perfect, banal photos without soul that the big photographic companies attempt to sell us.
An idea that the graphic designer has always wanted to flee. Whether portraits, landscapes or architecture, Aurelie’s lomographies are made up of print textures and graphic matter reinforced by a development technique called “crossed processing”.
The proximity of her subjects and the type of camera that she used, such as the Polaroïd, allowed her to live and to capture strong moments of exchange, amongst others with the Malgassy population. For the rest, she trusts her instinct and her sharp graphic designer’s eye. From Paris to Madagascar passing by the Seychelles, Tokyo, New York and South Africa, Aurélie invites you to join her on an interactive trip with her exhibition “Lomographic Itineraries”.
What is lomography ?
Lomography is a brand registered by Lomographische AG., Austria. A company which has made itself known world-wide thanks to the famous Lomo LC-A, a camera whose faults are used as tools of creation.
A photographic movement was born from this success which is called lomography. Lomo being the abbreviation of “Leningradskoje Optiko Mechanistschéskoje Objedinénie”.
In practical terms, it is a compact Soviet camera created in 1983 and made in St Petersburg. The images that its faults create are very unusual (amongst others : significant colour saturation and very pronounced vignettage – the edges of the photo are darker than the center). But it is precisely these differences that the lomo users attempt to exploit.
Biographical details
Aurélie studied Art in Paris and has a diploma from the Gobelins, School of Image and Graphics.
She has worked as a graphic designer in Paris and New York for various graphic design studios and then for 2 years she worked for the French Cultural Cooperation in the Seychelles.
She has been practicing photography for 10 years. Her first camera, a second-hand Konica, was given to her by her grandfather for study trip in Marrakech…
