Trans Photographic Press has released "Mythologies. Voyage dans nos lieux communs" (Journey through our commonplaces), a comprehensive photographic exploration of French national identity by photographer Gilles Leimdorfer. The book presents a deeply personal journey through France as the artist searches for elements of contemporary national mythology through his lens.
Leimdorfer's approach combines humor and tenderness as he captures what he describes as the commonplaces of "eternal France" and its people. His work documents a subjective vision of France rooted in childhood experiences, weaving together cultural references that include musician Jacques Brel, singer Pierre Bachelet, philosopher Roland Barthes, the iconic Camembert cheese, the historic battlefield of Verdun, the cinema classic "The Young Girls of Rochefort," the Executioner of Béthune, and devoted fans of rock star Johnny Hallyday.
The photographer constructs his vision of the country through what he calls "small, successive touches," building a comprehensive picture through accumulated details and moments. His collection encompasses portraits of people, landscape photography, images of kitsch objects, and family photographs, creating a dialogue between territorial identity and personal history. This methodology allows Leimdorfer to dive into contemporary French reality without falling into nostalgia, while exploring the personal connections he has developed with his homeland.
In his own words, Leimdorfer explains his artistic philosophy: "Clichés? Legends? Double meanings lead me to wander. I ignore the North of compasses and ready-made answers; I prefer to wander the land to celebrate its ambiguity." He deliberately seeks to confuse conventional interpretations, stating that he likes to "confuse the issue and confuse those who follow me" by documenting what he calls "a poetry of everyday life, a totally subjective France learned during childhood when our eyes are wide opened."
The photographer describes his work as creating a personal map of France, acknowledging that readers may question why certain beloved locations weren't included in his selection. His process involves capturing small moments through individual photographs, whether they are "portraits of people and things, landscapes or details." Leimdorfer emphasizes that he doesn't want to limit the country to conventional representations or confine it within a specific aesthetic framework.
Leimdorfer draws from what he calls "the bric-a-brac of my imagination" to create stages in this extended journey, which he hopes will be endless. His on-location approach involves photographing his country as it appears to him in the present moment, without regret for what it might have been in the past. This methodology allows him to confront his idealized "dream France" with the reality he encounters during his travels.
The published book features high-quality production values, including a cloth-bound format with a hot-stamped cover. The volume measures 21 x 28 cm in French style formatting and contains 216 pages total. The visual content includes 180 four-color printed photographs, complemented by 48 pages of accompanying text. The book carries the EAN identifier 9791090371736 and is available for 39.00 euros through the publisher's website at www.transphotographic.com.
