Cyril Porchet (b.1984, Switzerland) - Seduction
“For this work, I photographed the choir of baroque churches in Germany, Spain and Austria systematically in a frontal way. I selected these churches for their exuberance, as well as for their arrangement and for their saturation level, for their ornamentation composed by decorative, figurative and symbolic elements.
I photographed these cultural places in order to produce an effect of visual saturation. This profligacy of splendor contributes to stun the senses and at first glance provides an effect which tends toward abstraction. In a first step, the observer loses his references and after that he is able to pull out instinctively the concrete different elements composing the whole. The optical flatness produced by the camera looks like and references the “trompe l’oeil” technique often used in this type of architecture. The goal of this approach is to show in an analytical way the exuberance and the surfeit of baroque as a critical shortcut of the dramatic character of our current society. Doing so, I mean to have a critical look at the accumulation of spectacles in the present culture of our society.
My work is displayed in print formats of 120 cm over 160 cm under acrylic glass. This choice is meant to underline the exuberance of these places as well as of our contemporary society and also works as a small veiled message to the relics presented under glass in these churches.”
[more Cyril Porchet]
Cyril Porchet - Seduction II. Around 150 cm over 200 cm
“I photographed these spaces in order to produce an effect of visual fusion between architecture and painting where the saturated opulence of baroque contribute to induce the loss of our own references. The pictures were realized in black and white to reinforce the confusion between the ceiling and what surrounds it. The optical effect brings architecture to the same level as painting and vice versa. This series directly comes within the continuity of the “seduction” series and thus has the same goal, which is to show in an analytical way the exuberance and the excess of baroque as a critical allegory of the dramatic character of our current society.”
Cyril Porchet - Speech. Lambda print 60 cm over 60 cm plus the frame
“Generally speaking, my photographic work always revolves around the same field, which is the architecture of power and the organization of the masses. I wanted to consider the concept of power as a pure physical force and its architecture as a concept of simple formal structure.
To this effect I imagined a series of pictures created from sound vibrations. The different sound frequencies used were produced from the speeches that I chose according to their historical significance. These different sound frequencies were then diffused in water in order to be materialized and to be made visible.
This results in an interesting abstract architecture, a form of “structured chaos” which is almost ornamental.”
Cyril Porchet - Dunkerque, work in progress
Cyril Porchet - Meetings. Matt prints of 150 cm by 210 cm fixed on aluminum plate
