MONUMENTS
Chapter 2
It was in 2015, while walking in the streets of Paris, where I live, that the idea came to me to make a photo work around the monuments. The idea was to stage heroes from Pop Culture by integrating them into the scenery in the place of existing Parisian monuments. A way for me to pay tribute to the creators of these characters who inspire us and feed our imagination for decades. But, due to lack of time, I only started working on this project in 2018. After 2 years of work, 13 visuals have been completed (divided into two separate chapters). It has been a long wait for me, but I am delighted to finally be able to present this work that has been in my mind for many years.
This project is the result of a collaboration with 2 fantastic partners : the studio 95 Magenta (who realized all the CGI elements, integrated to the photographs, of this 1st Chapter) and the CGI graphic designer Emmanuelle Vonck (who, as for her, realized the CGI part of the second chapter). They brought all their know-how in CGI for the realization of this project and have magnificently managed the modeling part and the integration of the different characters. A huge thank you to them for their work and their talent.
So it is in Paris, this "museum city" that radiates throughout the world, that my new series of photographs is set. Here, frozen on huge stone pedestals, cult characters from popular culture are raised to the rank of "Monuments". It is a way for me to underline that these heroes of fiction are today part of the world's cultural heritage. Unfortunately a choice had to be made and for technical or aesthetic reasons, many characters will not be represented here. But it is a work which is far from being finished, and many other characters will come to supplement thereafter this list which, I hope, will be the longest possible !
The pictures of this series were taken "à l'ancienne", in film. The negatives were then scanned, then retouched, to add CGI elements. The figurines, which served as a basis for this work, were "scanned" in studio with the photogrammetry process. I thus considered this series as a real laboratory for image research where old techniques are mixed with the most modern processes. A new way of looking at photography. And a way perhaps to reconcile the purists with the avant-gardists of photography ;)
I now let you discover these images. Good viewing to all.
Fine art prints are available (in limited editions of 15 copies, with worldwide free shipping) on : benoitlapray-shop.com
Monuments © Benoit Lapray (2018-2020)
MONUMENTS #08 / Angry man 1962
MONUMENTS #08 / Angry man 1962 (Close up)
MONUMENTS #09 / Lord of the Empire 1977
MONUMENTS #09 / Lord of the Empire 1977 (Close up)
MONUMENTS #10 / Martial arts champion 1984
MONUMENTS #10 / Martial arts champion 1984 (Close up)
MONUMENTS #12 / Grey pilgrim 1937
MONUMENTS #12 / Grey pilgrim 1937 (Close up)
MONUMENTS #13 / Billionaire vigilante 1939
MONUMENTS #13 / Billionaire vigilante 1939 (Close up)
Creative team of the second chapter
Concept, Photography & Art Direction : Benoit Lapray
CGI : Emmanuelle Vonck (click here to watch her Behance profil)
Figurines shots (in studio) for photogrammetry : Benoit Lapray
Photogrammetry modeling : Digitage
Photo retouching : Emmanuelle Vonck & Benoit Lapray
Production : Benoit Lapray
Films processing and scanning, on an IMACON scanner, has been realised by a photo laboratory in Paris.
FINE ART PRINTS
Fine art prints are available (in limited editions of 15 copies, with worldwide free shipping) on : benoitlapray-shop.com
BEHIND THE SCENES
The photoshoot, in the streets of Paris, has been realised in film photography with a Pentax 67 II camera and a Horseman Folding 6x9 camera. All photos has been taken with Kodak Portra films, and digitalized with an Imacon scanner.
All figurines used for this series has been shot with a process of photogrammetry in my studio (in suburb of Paris). Watch this video to discover this working process :
Thanks for watching !
Click HERE to watch the Chapter 1 of the series
