228 - Valerie Belin
© Valerie Belin
A student at the École Beaux-arts de Versailles (1983–1985), and then at the École Nationale Supérieure d’Art de Bourges (1985-1988), French artist Valerie Belin obtained the French higher national diploma in visual expression in 1988 and also holds a diploma in advanced studies (DEA) in the philosophy of art from the Université de Paris Panthéon-Sorbonne (1989).
Initially influenced by various minimalist and conceptual tendencies, Valérie became interested in the photographic medium in its own right; this is at once the subject of her work and her way of reflecting and creating. Light, matter and the “body” of things and beings in general, as well as their transformations and representations, constitute the terrain of her experiments and the world of her artistic ideas. Her work is articulated in photographic series, each one produced within the framework of a specific project.
Valérie’s work has been exhibited around the world and is held in numerous public and private collections. Winner of the Prix Pictet in 2015 (Disorder), she was made an officer of France’s Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2017. This same year, a touring exhibition was co-produced by the Three Shadows Photography Art Center in Beijing, the SCôP in Shanghai and the Chengdu Museum. In 2019, Valérie unveiled a major new series at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and this year, 2024, she has been named as Master of Photography at Photo London where she will have a major career retrospective.
Valerie lives and works in Paris.
In episode 228, Valerie discusses, among other things:
Her father being an artist at heart
the influence of a particular teacher
The dual influence of American minimal art and Italian baroque art
How she discovered photography and was inspired by a misogynistic teacher
Not photographing people initially
Presence and absence
Why she chose bodybuilders as her first foray into shooting people
The theme of beauty
How women are ‘attacked’ by stereotypes
AI being paradoxical to what she wants to show
the importance of Photoshop to her practice
Where the ideas come from
Use of comic books
Making a living
Recent series’ ‘Heroes’ and ‘Lady Stardust’.
Referenced:
“I think it’s still true to say I’m very close to my medium and to the hybridation, because if you think of it what is photography today when with the same camera you can make videos, you can make whatever you want? I think we are in a time when you always have a kind of superimposition in your mind, you have several channels on all the time in your mind and maybe my pictures are showing that way of thinking or way of living.”
This episode of the podcast is sponsored by MPB - transforming the way people buy, sell and trade in photo and video kit. An online platform for used photography and videography equipment, MPB is a destination for everyone, whether you've just discovered your passion for visual storytelling or you’re already a pro.
This episode of the podcast is sponsored by Capture One Pro, the professional photo editing software that allows you to shoot, edit and collaborate whether in the studio or on the road.
Bring your vision to life with Capture Pro.
Sign up for a free 30 day trial to try Capture One yourself and get an exclusive 30% discount on their yearly bundle subscription HERE by using the coupon code ASMALLVOICE24 at checkout.
This episode of the podcast is sponsored by Pic-Time - An all-in-one platform to deliver, share and sell prints.
Try Pic-Time Free for 30-Days! and enter the code ASMALLVOICE to get a bonus month when upgrading to any Pic-Time paid plan.
For additional, exclusive content join now as a full A Small Voice member for £5 per month. Or to access the full archive of over 150 episodes join as an archive-only member for £3 per month here . Or show your suppport for the podcast by making a one-time or periodic donation here.
