How did you become a photographer? Would you define yourself as one?
E: I started photography when I was 16, by taking ghostly self-portraits in my stairwell. This very quickly gave me this magical feeling of being able to travel through time and shape my own reality. It gave me a creative satisfaction that I couldn’t find in drawing or painting at the time.
J: I began taking photographs when I was 13 and spent all my holidays and free time doing so for many years. Photography was a means of creation that allowed me to explore different worlds. It also enabled me to share many things with my friends. It is a social medium that encourages interaction, spontaneity, shared creations and immediate ideas. But standing back, it is also a medium that requires time for reflection and understanding the images you’ve taken. I have always liked this side of it, because standing back is a vital part of the creative process. This aspect involves archiving, selection and a dialogue between images. This is why photography is unique: even if it immediately satisfies the need to capture a moment or an idea, it also gives this possibility to stand back and explore a multitude of realities.
To answer your question, we define ourselves as two visual artist-photographers and directors.
What drives you as a photographer?
Through our work, we wish to live and offer a human and sensitive experience. An experience through which viewers confront the systems through which they project themselves, their relationship to others, as well as their individual and collective memory mechanisms. With this in mind, our commitment is to create sensitive and genuine stories and characters, and to stage our photographic performances in the most honest way possible. We are empathetic with all our characters. Empathy is a commitment in itself.
Do you think there is such a thing as a ‘woman’s gaze’ in photography? Is this something you can relate to?
To talk of a “woman’s eye” in photography is obviously legitimate. As two female artists working together, we can of course relate to this question. But it is not central to our subjects and stories. In our medium, the boundaries are thin, and we are interested in everything that surrounds us, be it social and cultural behaviour, or feminine as well as masculine. Women’s view of the world deserves a prominent place in art and photography.
Has being a woman influenced your work as an artist in any way?
The fact we are women obviously has an influence on our status as artists. It is an intrinsic part of our work but without however having too much of a political or overarching influence on our work.
In our productions and self-representation works, we play with feminine and masculine “norms” (which we all hold). They intersect and intermingle with mysterious and fractured ambiguity.
We observe people around us to understand their bodies, attitudes, similarities and social relationships. We are women who poke fun at humans, regardless of gender. Naturally, we admire the strength and resilience of female characters, they inspire us a lot.
Do you live off your art?
We are lucky enough to make a living from our art, which enables us to work on our artistic projects and exhibitions at the same time, as well as commissioned work in photo and video. Since 2016, we have been working with the La Forest Divonne gallery, which has been very supportive. Our relationship with them is very stimulating. We also accept “carte blanche” and other commissions. For example, we have just finished a new Carte Blanche photo series for the Palais de la Découverte which will be published at the end of November.
Which authors have inspired you? Are there any women photographers among them?
Francesca Woodman, Diane Arbus, Lauren Greenfield, Rineke Dijkstra, Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, Sophie Calle, Pedro Almodovar, David Hockney, Araki, Valérie Mreje, Tina Barney, Jeff Wall, Lorca Di Corcia and William Eggleston among others.
Lastly, regarding authors: Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Adrienne Brodeur, Roland Barthes for Johanna; Anna Hope, R.J Ellory and biographies of photographers such as Francesca Woodman for Elsa.
