Photographe des formes et des volumes, Christian Michel met en lumière les réalisations de grands architectes contemporains, français et étrangers.
Gares TGV, musées, aéroports, logements, institutions...Tous les genres de l'architecture font partie de l'univers de Christian Michel.
Son oeil exercé par 15 années de photographie traque les espaces, les volumes et les détails des bâtiments et des ensembles contemporains.
Diplômé de l'école d'Art et de Communication de Luminy à Marseille, Christian Michel s'est orienté, après quelques années de travaux publicitaires, vers l'architecture qu'il photographiait par passion.
Une méthode, des techniques
"La photographie d'architecture, c'est de la photographie d'art, dans le champs de la communication"
En échangeant avec les architectes avec lesquels il collabore. Christian Michel essaye de dégager l'esprit de leur travail, qu'il met en image avec une méthode et des outils adaptés. A la chambre, au moyen format, ou en numérique, ses prises de vue se font exclusivement sur trépied, "ce qui oblige à réfléchir et à trouver la bonne distance" et à l'aide d'optiques à décentrement.
Christian Michel seeks to attain an eternal transitional zone of visual expression, to evoke the subtle differences between confronted materiality, and the intellect of perception of the photographic angle.
A challenge he sets for himself, as he relates it, in order to designate and distinguish a relative degree of his emotions.
The image's reflection, and its graphic result - are of an imaginative, emblematic sensitivity in and of itself. Yet also, given the chosen perspective, an immediate translation is achieved ; an immaculate rendering of the architect's original vision.
Therefore, in contemplation of his production, we are lead onto the path of a creation of codes, constituting the multiple layers and links seemingly effortlessly defined between architectural space, the architect, and the photographer. Spaces are elicited as catalysts to the creation of form.
Christian's specific photographic gesture elaborates a correlation between materials, curves, walls, structural elements, façades, and handles to grasp.
The architectural elements become structure, texture and distinct tangibility in and of themselves ; passageways are created. Continuities.
However, almost imminently indecipherable as one, Christian's signature becomes apparent leafing through differing selections of his architectures in images.
Spatial unity sought individually ; revealed in composure, equanimity. This is where we become aware of his distinct vision as a photographic artist. Reason, and vulnerable awareness are weaved into the expressive structure.
The senses are reveal in the composition. Thought processes are never far, omnipresent in filigree throughout the architectures, self-compositional amongst the dissimilar built structures.
However, the thoughts revealed through this search become in one way or another comprehensive, as distinctly, or disturbingly, emotional, as immediately felt as a passionate impetus to interrogation.
In regards to Christian maintains : 'The reality of a perceived place is mute. Its luminous unraveling and the trace that it leaves in the instant are the original variables of my dialogue with a particular place.
The spatial partitions grant me the authorization to reconstitute the senses beyond common meaning. Construction and the precondition of de-construction provide a link to my affect and my reasoning.
Their differentiation is the decisive keyword to my approach. This distinction is the luxury of emotion.'
As a graduate of the School of Arts and Communications of Luminy, Marseille, France; Christian Michel oriented himself towards the architecture he once photographed as a passion, following several years of general work in photography based in the South of France.
His particular vision has been shaped by fifteen years of experience, Christian elucidates the work of a great variety of contemporary architects, French and foreign ; methodically searching for the spaces, volumes and details of the ensembles. Stations, museums, airports, habitats, institution...all types of architecture make up his universe.