Floriane de Lassée – born in 1977, she lives and works in Paris, France.
Website: florianedelassee.com
How did you get interested in photography? Do you have an educational artistic background?
I always wanted to be a photographer but, I did not know if I was good at it, so I decided to study graphic design, thinking “in case, I am just ok, I can make website, give digital classes, make logos, etc.”.
I was not really secure about myself in deed ! Finally, I never had to make anythingelse than photography till now, to make a living ! I studied Graphic Design in Penninghen/ESAG in Paris for 5 years and after 2 years in an advertising compagny, I quit to study only photography for 2 years in International center of Photography, New York.
Where do you get your creative inspiration from? Is there any other artis or photographer who inspired your art?
My vision of art is something I have to realize, to make visible for all ; if not, I can’t sleep : it has to be expressed and I’ll continue till the result looks to what I had in mind.
Inspiration definitely comes from travels, for the body in motion (in a bus, in a plan, in a new country… not in front of a blanck page at home) I am more inspired by life than by other artists. I go too museums, watch movies, listen to radio… these are “inconscious inspirations”. I love D.Lynch, Inaritu, J. Bosh, Crewsdon, G. Rousse, C. Klapish…
How much preparation do you put into taking a photograph or series of photographs? Do you have any preferences regarding cameras and format?
I used to work with a large format camera 4×5 inches and most of the images here have been taken by this one with very long exposure on negatives that are not maid for this type of purpose. That’s why we have color switch. But we can’t see precisely the difference now between my digital camera (with Phase one Back) and my old Sinar large format.
While arriving in a country, I scout various places for few days with a local assistant that know my work. Sometimes I use Google earth to check a point of view from a terrasse or rooftop. After having all the locations in mind, I think about the ideas, the people that might pose here. For the latest series, Sati (2016), it is different : it speaks about a real story of young indian widows that have no status in the society. Then I search the people, then finally, I look for this old beautifull temples or houses in Radjastan.
Can you talk a bit about your approach to the work? What did you want your images to capture?
At first glance, my images are more about a feeling, a mystery than a precise approach. Then if you look deeper, most of them tell a specific female story in a certain region of the world (Istanbul and the naked woman in front of a mosk, the young indian widow in Radjastan, the loneliness of the expat’ s wife in NYC …)
Where is your photography going? What are you currently working on and do you have any photographic plans for future?
I never stop working. I just did a photo shoot this week for an non profit action called “la Flamme Marie Claire” to promote school and education as a way to freedom and emancipation, for young girls around the globe.
My work (not only these series, I have other ones, very different, such as “How Much Can You Carry?” that is very popular too) can be seen internationaly in various magasines and exhibitions. For example, this summer, there is a portfolio in Marie Claire Australia and an exhibition in Alliance Française in Morocco. I am planning to go back to radjastan, India in the winter for the series.
What are your three favourite photography books?
– “Cabanes imaginaires autour du monde, worlds in making” Nicolas Henry (my husband), Edition Albin Michel, released in 2016
– “The Others” Olivier Culmann. Edition Xavier Barral.
– “The great Third front” Chen Jiagang. Edition Tim zone8 (china)
What do you do besides photography?
I run. I often find my ideas while moving (running, skiing, in a bus, in a plane, walking)
Website: florianedelassee.com
