"I continue the photographs as one of my projects into the 1990s, but for me these pictures encourage the idiosyncratic, unpredictability of the viewing subject. They open up a space for the imaginary to roam, sans frontières.
The large photographs, about the same size as our bodies, have a physical presence, but are the big and empty, like the dark cinema and absorb the projection of our desires, our fears.
There is pleasure of the body — so I can linger on eyes, lips, ears, noses in all their infinite variety of sensual, fetishist, fantastic worlds. These photographs display a mixture of the surreal and the real."
Sam Samore is an eclectic artist, storyteller, filmmaker, and poet whose work explores profound themes such as beauty, myth, and existential drama. Active since the mid-1970s, Samore is considered one of the pioneers of large-scale conceptual photography.
For the first time other than in New York, this exhibition concentrates around twenty photographic works depicting eyes and lips. A fundamental aspect of his visual language, these black and white as well as color close-ups evoke an aura of mystery and almost otherworldly spirituality. The color pictures reflect a Fauvist palette, eschewing realist description. The coarse grain of photographic film, deliberately used by the artist, distorts the image when viewed up close, evoking a sensuality reminiscent of Expressionism, challenging the viewer’s perception of reality and beauty. The blurred images function like slow-motion effects, giving them a dreamlike atmosphere rich in emotion. It is up to the viewer to look, listen, and construct the image of the person. This strategy forces the observing subject to temporarily identify with the Other in their gaze.