Marine Cessat-Bégler

As a professional photographer, Marine specialized in portrait. As far as I can remember, she has always been obsessed with human representation.

What's the point of photographing ?

Photography is the art of contingency, of what is particular. Making portraits is always a way to emphasize present time. It is not only the image of the people in front of the camera that is recorded, but also their meeting with the photographer.

Misty minds

Marine is in keeping with the long-lasting tradition of portraitists who perceived photography as a way of revelation. She strives to show this singularity, which belongs to each model, the unique element, character, this unspeakable subtlety...

Throughout her series Misty minds (Esprits embrumés), she wanted to show the feminine thought. To do so, she worked with several women, and staged them according to a systematic process, in order to emphasize their difference.

Besides the commissions which she receives, Marine continues her personal researches. Photography is a deep-rooted impetus; now, the first subject whom one finds is often oneself. Marine is an assiduous self-portraitist, and she uses staged photography as a way to express herself.

These photographs do not draw their beauty from the bodies, in compliance with some ideal : their diversity invalidates such an idea. It is this abiding singularity and their meaningfulness which give the images all their quality.

As they look naked, one could think that these women offer themselves to gaze, and desire; but their closed eyes refer to an unreachable interiority, as uncatchable as those evanescent clouds, which symbolize the fleetingness and complexity of thought.

Their diverse anatomies and movements create unique images, just like their protagonists.

Together, they evoke the plurality of what is feminine : Woman does not exist.

If you want to see more by Marine, take a look at her website !