The Soul

These photographs speak to our search for truth, the truth in things, and the truth within each of us. By focusing on simple objects they hint at what endures in our understanding of the world. Whilst evidently not self-portraits, they are nonetheless a documentary and introspective confession, intended to reach beyond the intimate and to touch on something of a larger order, something spiritual. To create is an act of existence but there is no existence without destruction. The architecture of this place is in an intermediate, dormant state. It was once alive and it is not yet dead. In this space between two universes a curious time descends, a quiet, transparent moment with no pollution of any kind. With the clarity of a mirror it simultaneously reflects a perfect and a damaged version of our soul. It is not the importance of the subject that holds my interest. I like the idea of being able to write, paint or make a photograph out of almost nothing, from or about an object without apparent qualities, to begin with the most obvious and simple things and discover in them some overriding truth. Their power can be captivating as they serve as a statement on the natural chaos of life. Martin dOrgeval Martin dOrgeval was born in 1973 in Paris, where he still lives and works. While studying art history at the Sorbonne, he designed several exhibitions and books on the work of the French photographer François-Marie Banier, including Perdre la tête (Steidl) in 2005 at the Villa Médicis in Rome. His work centres on highly dramatic still lives and landscapes and has been exhibited internationally.