Olivier Mériel. Silver Light. In the Wake of impressionism in Normandy
Olivier Mériel
Après la tempête, Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer, mai 2009
tirage par contact
© Olivier Mériel
© ADAGP Paris 2010
Forty contemporary silver prints photographs attempt to rediscover today’s quality of light from yesterday’s impressionist landscapes
The exhibition forms part of the ’Normandie Impressionniste’ Festival.
Just as the Impressionists in their time left their studios to find a new creative inspiration from contact with nature, photographer Olivier Meriel travelled to the major landmarks of the Normandy coast and the River Seine. He took his time, observing the world he found, and seeking that special quality of correspondence between time, place and his own inner landscape.
As the skies changed, and nature perpetually renewed itself, he wondered how to bear witness to what is essentially ephemeral. The day takes flight like a shadow on the sundial. But the light remains, eternally the same since the beginning of time – and this is ultimately Olivier Meriel’s subject matter.
Some of the sites photographed:
The banks of the Seine: Giverny, Jumièges Les Andelys, Rouen, Villequier and others
The Normandy coast - seaside architecture and rugged cliffs: Asnelles, Cabourg, Deauville, Dieppe, Etretat, Fecamp, Le Havre, and Yport
Railway stations, symbols of movement, of setting off for the unknown: Saint-Lazare in Paris, London Victoria, etc.
The Impressionist Normandy Festival
The Impressionist Normandy Festival, from June to September 2010, gives pride of place to Impressionism throughout the Normandy region, and promises to be the major cultural event in France this summer. It offers the general public a wonderful opportunity to discover the unique heritage and creativity of Normandy, the birthplace of the Impressionist movement. Ranging from painting, contemporary art, music, and cinema to theater, dance, and photography, the festival program embraces every form of artistic expression to offer something for everyone.
