Self-taught sculptor and photographer Alain Laboile is bringing his intimate black-and-white photography to the spotlight as the guest of honor at the Barrobjectif festival. The French artist will showcase 40 photographs from his renowned series "La famille" (The Family) in the prairie of Barro from September 13 to 21, presenting what organizers describe as a timeless and universal exhibition.
Laboile has created a unique artistic sanctuary in the Lot region of France, where he has established an artistic park that serves as a dialogue between his sculptures and photographs set against the natural landscape. This creative environment reflects his multidisciplinary approach to art, seamlessly blending his skills as both a sculptor and photographer in an outdoor setting that celebrates the harmony between art and nature.
The photographer's work focuses on capturing the daily life of his children without staging or artificial setups, documenting their natural interactions within their rural environment in Gironde. His approach emphasizes authenticity and spontaneity, allowing the genuine moments of childhood to unfold naturally before his lens. The series "La famille" represents years of intimate documentation of family life, presenting childhood through an unfiltered and honest perspective.
Laboile's choice to work exclusively in black and white photography serves a specific artistic purpose, as he believes this medium has the unique ability to render subjects both timeless and universal. By removing the distraction of color, his images transcend specific time periods and cultural boundaries, allowing viewers to connect with the universal experiences of childhood and family life regardless of their own backgrounds or circumstances.
The Barrobjectif festival exhibition will offer visitors an opportunity to experience Laboile's celebration of childhood innocence through four decades of his most compelling work. His photographs capture fleeting moments of joy, curiosity, and freedom that define the essence of growing up in a natural environment, away from the constraints and artificial influences of urban life.
