Artist’s Statement:
The “Flying Houses” are inspired by the poor cosmopolitan neighborhood of Paris where the photographer lives. They poetically testify to the alarming reality of Paris’ impoverished classes, in particular the Gypsies and the immigrants.
In these photomontages, the photographer isolates these buildings from their urban context, releasing them from the anonymity of the street in order to tell the life, dreams, and hopes of the buildings’ inhabitants. The photographs are composed hundreds of elements: roofs, windows, gutters, fireplaces, antennas, graffiti imposed upon the sky. The images are shown in large format and let the curious observer to discover hidden details in these reconstructions. They propose a double reading, one from afar and one from close in, a technique used to alert the audience against their preconceived prejudices.
Artist’s Bio:
Laurent Chéhère is a french photographer born in Paris. His work was published in Time Magazine, Vogue, Harper’s Baazar Russia, The Guardians, The Telegraph, La Repubblica, Vanity Fair, Polka Magazine, O’Globo, Bild, Daily Mail, Die Zeit, Stern, Huffington Post, and BBC.
Laurent Chéhère is represented by ParisBeijing Gallery (Paris) and Muriel Guepin Gallery (New York).