In this era in which we are overwhelmed with an infinite number of pixels on our screen, the French artist Baptiste Rabichon surprises us with an analogue process of displaying his works. This process consists of a series of steps in which he mixes analogue and digital photographic techniques on a light-sensitive surface. The conceptual scenes of Rabichon are a collection of photograms that represent his representation of reality.  

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Rabichon’s works look like Dadaistic collages in which newspaper clippings have been replaced by photographic excerpts from his daily life have replaced newspaper clippings. His photographs bring the viewer back to a time where subjectivity was more important than objectivity.  

Rabichon plays with many different techniques. His photos are composed of multiple layers. He uses primitive but also advanced technologies, like an airport security scanner. By having X-rays reflect on objects, he creates abstract translucent still lifes that serve as a photographic “cut-out” in collages. During the production process in the darkroom pixels and chemistry are merged into one image, with which Rabichon is able to develop hybrid photos. “Taking photos with a normal camera is less interesting for me than making prints on light-sensitive paper. To obtain authentic images of my world, I develop tools and processes that seem complicated but that are not entirely inaccessible to the non-photography connoisseur. My creative work is complex because I merge different photographic techniques. I hope the viewer experiences something strange is happening in the image, even if he knows nothing about photographic techniques.”

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“Taking photos with a normal camera is less interesting for me.

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Hidden reality

Rabichon'sRabichon’s way of working is as complex as the concepts behind his work. He reveals a hidden reality that escapes photographic optics. Friction arises between intrinsically different concepts, reality, and imagination. “Photography helps me capture my impressions during my observations. But what I see only becomes interesting to me when the observation goes beyond the human eye. That is why I avoid classical instruments for making images. I do not use the camera in the way it was originally intended, because it is designed to represent what you see as objectively as possible.”  

Rabichon makes his imagination a reality, while photography can only capture what is present. Just like a painter, he fills the photographic image with human figures, colors, textures, and attributes. “For example, in Les Balcons  photo series, for which I was inspired by the Paris balconies inspired me, I portray the harmony I experienced during my walks in Paris with each photo. I constructed these photos just like paintings. It is a visual interplay between the exterior and interior. How the balconies show from the street, and what happens inside the houses, can only be imagined or suggested. My reaction to this was to combine different techniques."

Rabichon applies different colors or textures to every balustrade, curtain, or wall, except for the female forms. The artist left these blank silhouettes empty, making it look like Rabichon observed these women as ‘unseen’. The women do not realize that they are being observed during their actions on the balcony. From a distance, he presents the anonymous women as enigmatic beings. The photos give the viewer an urge to unmask the blank contours. With the mysterious series  Les Balcons, he brings his question marks to the viewer.

Baptiste Rabichon has been a true observer from an early age; however, he does not know exactly what he is looking for. His photographic experiments always lead him to the unknown as an explorer, but being an artist, he knows the creative process is just as important as the result.

Observer

Like many children, Rabichon was fascinated by the concept of cosmic infinity. “During chemistry lessons at school, I found nothing more interesting than observing everything through the microscope and various tubes. Now I do the same in art. Photography is the ideal art medium for me, because I can freely experiment with my way of observation. With photography, I can combine my observations with compositions. Producing art, I discover as much as I produce, and I believe that my productive nature drives me to new discoveries."

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‍Dadaism and Cubism

Many artists have inspired by many artists Rabichon. His psychedelic images suggest inspiration from Dadaism. One might see Man Ray or Erwin Blumenfeld from the Dadaist period in Rabichon's work. But you also see Cubism in his work, as every fragment of his collages has been taken from a different perspective. “There are too many artists to list that I find inspiring, but I remember a visit to a Picasso exhibition, after which I first got the idea to register at the art academy. I have always been interested in art. First, in literature and painting; and my interest in photography came later when I studied at Les Beaux-Arts in Paris. There I started experimenting with the scanner. I started using the scanner in different ways than just for making photocopies.”

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Baptiste Rabichon (Montpellier, 1987) lives and works in Paris. After studying enology, he studied in 2009 at the art academy in Dijon and in 2011 in Lyon. He then went to the Paris Academy in 2012, where he attended workshops with Claude Closky and Patrick Tosani. From 2015, Rabichon studied further at Le Fresnoy, the National Studio of Contemporary Arts. In 2017, he won the Residency BMW Art and Culture Award. His work is represented by Galerie Binome represents his work.

Images courtesy Galerie Binome

www.rabichon.com