DMC shots

DMC, world leader of embroidery is a 262 years old company (yes, founded in 1746 !). The company is facing big challenges these days with the withdrawal of its main shareholder, GPG fund. DMC is well known for it's fascinating broad range of colours and the quality of his thread. Everyday, it sells 1 million threads in more than 40 000 points of sale.

Photos shot in Lyon last spring.  I was appealed by the accumulation of products, like a photo of Chris Jordan ...?

Le déjeuner sur l'herbe (Modern) variations

Le déjeuner sur l'herbe (1863) by E. Manet is one of the most fascinating work of modern painting. It was a real shock (at that time...) to see the nude women casually having picnic with the two dandies.  

As Picasso said about : "When I see Le déjeuner sur l'herbe, I'm saying to myself pain for the future". The realism of the subject is striking. For the first time in history, you can't find any justification for the nude, any pretext from mythology. The men are simply ignoring the woman, engaged in their conversation. The light of the paint is like a photographic light in studio, you do not see any shadow and the atmosphere is unnatural. Strange also are the dress of the men, with indoor looks, rather than dressed for a summer lunch.

I shot these 2 versions in Paris Photo in 2007 and 2008.

Fake Carrefour (2) : Carnefour !

"Que diferencia", or what a difference says ironically the billboard in front of this typical butcher's shop in the Suba area of Bogota, Colombia !

For the anecdote, I shot this picture just days before the opening of the Carrefour store, close from it. 

Who copies who ?

Fake Carrefour (1): Carreful Alimentos

This is a first serie of "fake supermarkets" chain. In Latin America where trademarks are not as respected as in Europe, it's not uncommon to find some free interpretation of famous name. If you have some, I'm of course very interested in !

Hyper series by D. Darzacq

Denis Darzacq is a young french photograph presented by the VU gallery in the Paris Photo fair. Previous work from Darzacq has been exposed in the Rencontres d'Arles in 2005 where I remembered his nudes walking through dead cities...

These shots are impacting. The contrast between the universe of the mass market of the supermarket, the huge amount of food, down to earth and the floating corpses - levitating ? - of the young people. Well organised products vs. strange ballet. Processed food vs. living human. Materialism of the shelfs vs. surrealism of the flying bodies...

A comparison between being and having ?

PS: these shots are "real" and are not product of any Photoshop aid !

When more is more: beer shelf in Whole Foods

Whole Foods Market Beer Category Manager has not read The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz. Choice Overload may trouble the customer, setting up unrealistic expectations. Its supposed to bring stress and discourage the clients... 

Well, sometimes it's simply also helps to sell more ! In front of this fantastic display who's not strongly encouraged of buying a pack of beer with such assortment ?

Photo shot in Whole Foods Market, August 11th 2008

Art & Money

Photo shot this summer at the FRAC who organized an interesting exhibition about the relationship between Art and Money, challenging the social role of Money. Artists like Wim Delvoye, (his web site is a must seen..) Dana Wise or Sophie Calle amongst many were presented.

Unfortunately, I can't remember the artist name of the 2 credit cards (made of pasta).

back in times

As Nassim Nicholas Taleb demonstrates brilliantly in his bestseller book The Black Swan, it's a total illusion to predict future from the past, as we most of the time tend to refer. Just to illustrate this, I've found these nice photos from nuxx that illustrates the point.

 Impossible from this shot to even guess where does come this incredible mixture:

Before a complete mix, it looked like that (just a detail that may help you guess : it's made of something every (decent) person is supposed to consume daily...

series taken from nuxx, 23 tubes and a bowl...

Cité du Commerce guest speaker

I will be guest speaker at the Cité du Commerce et de la Consommation, saturday 29th at 14h30 in ESCP-EAP Business school Campus. The topic will be Increases in prices and purchasing power : which danger for democracy. 

Others speakers will be 

Michel Barnier, French Minister of Agriculture, 

Jerome Bedier, President of the Federation des entreprises du commerce et de la distribution

Jean-Paul Betbeze, chief economist

Olivier Desforges, President of ILEC (Institut de liaisons et d'etudes des Industries de Consommation

To get entrances check here

See you there !

Quote of the day from Nassim Nicholas Taleb

"Have you ever wondered why so many of these straight-A students end up going nowhere in life while someone who lagged behind is now getting the shekels, buying the diamonds, and getting his phone calls returned ?"

to know more about that idea and the controversy of Dr John vs. Fat Tony, READ The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb