Interview with Jeanne Ménétrier
#1 Please introduce yourself
I was born in Paris. I lived in the surburb of Paris, in a small town, Mitry Mory untill I was 18. I went to Toulouse, in the south of France for my studies and I’ll come back to Paris by the end of the year.
#2 How did you get interested in photography?
I always loved arts in any forms. And so for I didn’t know wich one I prefered. I went to a summer camp when I was 16 with a digital camera. I always brought cameras during my summer camp but only analog. I didn’t get so many friends that summer. I was often alone and was abble to make a lot a photos. That’s when I descovered I liked photography. Then, I went home, took a lot af photographs but it was fshionnable to take pictures and a friend of mine and my sister loved photography. I felt like I couldn’t say that I loved it too. One time a friend came home for dinner. I had a fight with my father and my friend and I went out to discuss. She told me : « If you love to take pictures just do it. » It was like a revelation.
#3 Do you have an artistic/photographic background?
I have a two years degree in photography and bachelor in arts. I’m currently in my forth year of arts studies.
#4 Which artist/photographer inspired your art?
There are so many. The first one is Jane Evelyn Aywood. I like Franscesca Woodman, Sally Mann, Bill Henson’s works. Annette Messager, Boltansky, Richter or Henry Moor are inspiring and so many others.
#5 How do you find the models to work on your projects?
I always start by taking selfportraits. Then, I often work with friends and eventually I find models who saw my work on facebook and ask to pose for me or on models facebook groups.
#6 Could you please tell us something about your technique and creating process?
For this serie I used digital camera (D300). I took pictures at the models homes using the pilot lamp of my studio flash. I turned the images in black and white and created this special green coloration. I couldn’t use films to make this serie because it was for school and I didn’t have enough time to developp and chose the pictures but I prefer analog to digital photography. My favorite paper is the analog paper Barythé and otherwise I often prefer mat papers. I’m not really fond of post-process so I only improved colors and contrast on my pictures. My boyfriend is also a photographer and he almost allways help me with this part.
#7 What do you do in your life besides photography?
As I said I’m still a student even though I am already working as a photographer. Right now photography is taking almost all my time because I am a young photographer and I have so many things to do to be abble to live with my art. I love to write and I just started to add text on my pictures. I read a lot and I love to go to the movies. And when I’m with my friends we love to play parlour games or go to the bars.
#8 What future plans do you have? What projects would you like to accomplish?
For now I mostly trying to get my work published and to won contest or price like the Art School Price I won last year. In the same time I am taking fashion photographs with my boyfriend and it takes us a lot of time between the photo shots, the communication and the emails to get published.
For the art part I am taking selfportraits about feminism and choices as a woman. I keep working on blur.
One Response to “Jeanne Ménétrier”
Deba N Jhon
inspiring works jeanne!