Bruno Quinquet
Bruno Quinquet has been living in Tokyo since 2006, before this, he was in France where he was born… You can find more at his website www.brunoquinquet.com
Are you currently represented by a gallery?
No. I’m starting to work on this in Paris and Tokyo.
What are the main medium/s you work in…
Photography. In the future, I will probably try to include sound in some of my work.
How do you describe your work, realistic, stylised, abstract, narrative, symbolic, other?
I see my work as contemplative documentary with a conceptual and surrealistic touch.
Does your work have social, political, cultural and or personal messages?
Messages, no. Connections with all that, definitely.
A statement to describe your current works?
The Salaryman Project is a street photography series. It consists of diptychs of Japanese office workers. The core of the series relies on a reflection about the problems between candid street photography and portraits rights.
Herbarium Japonicum is a study of plants in Tokyo’s urban context. It is a more relaxed approach, using analog photography and kind of outdated darkroom techniques.
Window Shopping is a photo collage of Japanese private spaces.
How did you get into art?
As a child, I have been encouraged towards creativity, especially drawing. At home, I was exposed to art books, XXth century design and architecture. Between 20~40 years old, I’ve been working as a recording engineer and kept some time for personal projects. Turning 42, I started photography and that feels like a creative rebirth.
What or who inspires your art?
At the moment, I am inspired by Tokyo, the city where I live.
What caused you to choose the medium you currently work in?
The new possibilities of digital photography.
How important is the clarity of concept to you, prior to starting an artwork?
The clarity of concept is very important to me, but it never comes from the start. It comes in the making, as a confirmation that my photo series works.
Tell us about your connection to your subject matter, way of working, concepts etc?
I am more interested in the approach than the subject, be it plant, office worker, window or mailbox…For me, form defines the content. For each new series, I try to define a specific visual identity.
Can you name a favourite artist or three… and why?
Bacon, Rodchenko, Kraftwerk. Why? Why not?
What happens to works that “don’t work out”?
I forget them for a while.
Do you have a personal philosophy which underpins your work?
A contemplative approach to life.
Do you hope the viewer will “get” what you are trying to communicate or do you feel compelled to spell it out to them?
I hope the viewer will feel something. I aim for a graphically simple design that leaves interpretations open. But actually, it’s not about communication, it’s about seduction.
Metaphors, analogies, symbols, stories, how important are they to your work?
They can feed my research work and give birth to new ideas.
If someone says to you “Oh your work is decorative and lacks any meaning…” your response would be…?
“Thank you”
Is your work process fast or slow?
On the slow side.
Do the seasons affect your work or work habits?
They affect my subject matter. For the best.
Some artists are more “at home” isolated in their creative process and you?
Definitely isolated.
Have you won any awards?
The salaryman project was nominated in 2008 at the New York Photo Awards and Voies Off photo festival in Arles, France.
Compiled and Edited by Steve Gray Contemporary Artist © 2009+
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