Zoé Menthonnex points out the poetry of the ordinary, and Pierre-Antoine Wucal its absurdity. These are our readers’ picks of the week.
Zoé Menthonnex
Currently a student, Zoé Menthonnex, 22, has been practicing analog photography for five years. “I used to capture ordinary moments of everyday life”, she recalls. She is now developing a poetic approach of the media. “I produce contemplative images, tainted with a soft, melancholic atmosphere, and flimsy aesthetics”, she explains. The young woman consumes many images. “I have developed a great interest for the monographs of contemporary photographers, and for certain publishing houses, such as Xavier Barral, Mack and Steidl. Instagram and the cinema inspired me, too”. Tumblr had become an essential tools during her editing phase. “I use Tumblr as an inspiration board. It enables me to visualise my images, to select and see whether they work together. Thanks to the platform, I can follow the evolution of my photographic process.”
© Zoé Menthonnex
Pierre-Antoine Wucal
Self-taught Parisian photographer Pierre-Antoine Wucal chose the city of Los Angeles to reinterpret the myth of Sisyphus – the ultimate hero of the absurd, according to Camus. “In this project, I tried to document the unconscious desire of the modern man. What is his thought process, once the utilitarianism of every day is removed? What desires does he address? The modern man is more powerful than ever before, but also more isolated in his quest of reality”, Pierre-Antoine tells us. Through his colourful, quirky and playful compositions, he reveals the myth of Sisyphus hiding inside each of us. His strolls prove that absurdity can be found everywhere.
© Pierre-Antoine Wucal
