The prestigious PICTO young fashion photography award (Prix Picto de la Jeune Photographie de Mode) was held November 22 at the Pan Piper in Paris and three winners were selected amongst a high level of young talent. The third prize whent to Sasha Marro, second to Julie Poncet, and the first prize was awarded to Laurent Henrion!
PICTO Award
The distinguished award, Prix Picto de la Jeune Photographie de Mode, was created in 1998 by the most recognized French photo laboratory PICTO. The winners will receive among other awards, great visibility to them and their work. Already the exposure to this year's professional jury offers all the winners and selected photographers an advantage in this competitive field.
Interview With first Prize Winner Laurent Henrion
Born in 1992 in Belgium, Laurent Henrion studied photography at IATA (Namur) and at Saint-Luc (Liège).
Having just finished his studies, Henrion exhibited alongside photographer Jean Janssis at La Châtaigneraie (Flémalle) and presented his work at the QUAI4 gallery in Liège. It still exhibits today, and until January 8, within the framework of the triennial of contemporary art of Hasselt.
The jury selected his work because of his creativity and artistry. Henrion is able to present fashion with mystery and a poetic voice that surpasses ordinary fashion photography. Every image takes the viewer to a moment of transition and disequilibrium with a sculptural and painterly touch that is unique!
1. What made you fall in love with photography?
I fell in love with photography during the year of my sixteen years. The drawing was still in the center of my life. I had been drawing since I was a young child. But always mainly for pleasure. But I went back to art school at the age of sixteen and I was disillusioned. I felt as if I had no place in this discipline.But luckily, on the side I had a skyblog. The sweet time of the skyblogs ... I wrote poems somewhat tortured and depressing. Adolescence. And next to each text I put an image that I found on the internet. But one day a friend advised me to buy a camera and make the photos myself to illustrate them. And it was a revelation. And since then I've never stopped thinking and doing photography. I will even add that the moment when I felt that I had really caught the virus was when I realized that I no longer saw the world that surrounded me in the same way. Everything becomes subject to wonder. I would say it's the nicest thing in being a photographer.
2. What is your creative process? I basically proceed in the same way for each of my projects. Generally, a project idea falls from the sky or results from another work already done. Then I do research mainly on the internet for weeks, months. I fill my computer with picture files that could inspire me when the time comes. Afterwards, when I feel ready, I start slowly in the shots. I always start with images of ambiance or still life in order to find the identity of the future series. Then I go with the shooting sessions with my models. My muses. I do not forget the post-treatment stage. I love that. I have always seen this step as the finishes on the rough draft that would be my RAW. And finally, when I feel that the work takes shape enough to grant it a title, I do research in this sense. I am preparing a lexical field by looking at my images and I search my references. (Funny: I do not realize how methodical I am.) I will just add that since my last job, I have found a taste for writing. This imposed on me in relation to the fact that I recently fell in love with the book format.So for my next series, I write, in parallel with the shots, texts inspired by my subject. Desire in this case. 3. Your work touches both on fashion and fine art. Neither one taking over as both are still prominent in your work. How did you find this distinct voice?
That comes to me I think of my repulsion for storing things and people in boxes. The stickers. I always liked drawing, painting, fashion, ... But finally, as an artist, I never wanted to choose between all that. Stay fixed on something. Why should we make concessions? I define myself as a "maker of images" and this simply allows me to free myself from all the barriers that I could put myself. If I have an idea, I do. I do not ask myself anymore whether it will please, fit into my work, ... Now I do not care. I'm just trying to make a vision exist. My vision.
4. How do you hope winning the first prize of the "Picto de la Jeune Photographie de Mode" will help you build your career
Honestly at first I was afraid that winning this prize would lock me up in spite of myself only in fashion photography. Even if it should be reminded: I love it. But from the moment I actually won I felt that I could lead my boat to port. The Prize is above all to serve as a springboard. To offer unexpected visibility. And I begin slowly to realize it. And about the future, I think it will bring me a lot of valuable contacts that will bring me a lot. I feel it. And then I would say that everything that happens for the moment reassures little by little my anxieties. The feeling of invalidity as an artist is a persistent disease. 5. What is your next project?
My next project talks about desire and revolves around yellow and black and white. I mix as usual image of model with abstract views or even atmospheres. But I allow myself more than before to produce and to believe in images that I make on the spot. Before I could only believe in the images I was putting on stage. But things are changing. For the best I hope. So I also write a lot on the side and you will easily understand that I intend the "complete work" in book format. Even if I never enclose a series under any support.
Laurent Henrion is currently exhibiting his work in Hasselt (Belgium) within the framework of the Triennial of contemporary art.
Second Prize Julie Poncet
Julie Poncet, self-taught, has been a photographer since 2013. After five years of expatriation in Morocco as an agronomist, she turns to and explores narrative capacities. Her photographic approach is scenario-based; She draws her inspiration both from photographers (Erwin Olaf, Mac Adams) and directors (Alfred Hitchcock, Wong Kar Wai). It is a continuation of the Narrative Art, and leads
Poncet regularly exhibits her works in galleries (Paris, Brussels, Arles) and participates in numerous festivals (FEPN, Phot'Aix, Confrontations Photo ...). Her work has attracted particular attention to the Prix Picto de la Jeune Photography de Mode and the Bourse du Talent.
Third Prize Sasha Marro
Sasha Marro was born in 1991, and lives and works in Paris. Attracted by staging and lighting, Sasha trained in video editing before joining the Gobelins school to specialize in photography. She moves quickly to fashion photography and portraiture, universes that allow her to express herself through staging. With clean work, she reveals her creativity to develop a whole story into an image.
In 2014, Agnès B spotted the work of Sasha and exhibited her series of photos "the timeless" in Agnès B stores in France and abroad (Tokyo, New York) as well as on the digital media of the brand. Sasha develops important work around set design and photography: kraft, bubble wrap, glass, plastic. Textures become the pretext for story telling and integrates and responds to the other elements: attitudes, form, stylism.
Today, Sasha evolves her style as she dares unexpected framing and strong hues and asserts itself in a universe of constructed and deconstructed imagery. Since her graduation, she has been published in various print and Internet publications, and works for several brands as a photographer while pursuing
the moving image with numerous documentaries.
JURY
Valérie Belin - Présidente du Jury et Photographe
Michael Baumgarten - Photographe
Véronique Vasseur - Directrice Relations Presse, Issey Miyaké Mode
Yann Garret - Rédacteur en chef, Réponse Photo
Delphine Perroy - Rédactrice en chef Mode, Madame Figaro
Damien Melich - Directeur de la Création et des Contenus de JCDecaux
Lionel Charrier - Directeur Photo Libération
Amaury Da Cunha - Journaliste, Le Monde
Guillaume Piens - Directeur, Art Paris Art Fair
Audrey Vilain-Hammiche - Agent, «C’est la Vie»
Perrine Scherrer - Photo Editor, Christian Dior
Julien Guerrier - Directeur, Editions Louis Vuitton
Maryse Bataillard - Chef du service communication corporate et mécénat,
BMW Art & Culture
SELECTED PHOTOGRAPHERS
ARNAUD PASCALE BASSE LIORA CHAPUT / TIBERGHEIN - ISABELLE / NELSON CHIFFE AURELIA CIMADURE-MERY YVAN DANNREUTHER ORAM DELAGNES MARIE ETEDI JULIA EUSTACHE ALEXANDRE FAUQUE MANU HENRION LAURENT HILEY / VACA - MATHILDE / CAROLINA JACQUEMIN ALICE LAFFITTE ALEXANDRA LIENARD JULIEN LIU WEN YI NELSON DARIA NIIHARA YURINA MARCODINI CHARLOTTE MARRO SASHA MONS MARIE PONCET JULIE ROBIN CYRILLE ROBIN CHARLLOTTE SAUPIN MARION SEF MEHDI SIMONEAU RACHELLE VIGUIER / FREDERIC - FANNY / VINCENT
