"Julien Lesur est photographe. Ceci dit, il serait mal venu de dire par exemple : « j'ai visité le studio photo Julien Lesur », non vraiment, la phrase apparaîtrait surfaite et inappropriée. En revanche, si vous tentiez un « j'ai visité le cabinet de curiosités du Docteur Lesur » ou un « je reviens de l'antre de Sir Lesur », vous seriez bien plus proche de la réalité. Quoique cela reste à prouver puisque l'on raconte que de chez Monsieur Lesur, l'on ne revient jamais...
Trouvailles inquiétantes, bibelots envoûtants, objets peut-être pas tout à fait inanimés et modèles ensorcelants (ensorcelés ?), Julien construit chacune de ses photos comme autant de tableaux, de petites chambres à l'aspect préoccupant mais qui provoque implacablement cette sensation familière, ce sentiment de « je suis déjà passé par là, un jour lointain, une nuit vaporeuse, dans un rêve sans doute ».
Dire que l'on ne revient jamais de chez Julien Lesur est certes un peu exagéré, mais il semble évident que l'on en revient à chaque fois un peu transformé, jamais tout à fait le même."
Alyz Tale,
Redactrice en chef
Elegy Magazine
" It is said memories are the blueprint of who a person is, and their dreams are the roadmap of who they might become. In either case, assembling the specific details of one’s past and future can be an elusive undertaking. Recollections of the past are often fragmented and disjointed, while the future view can be foggy and without focus.
So it is with great skill that Julien Lesur collects tangible elements that bring these momentary emotional glimpses of the past-present to life. His work is more than just a person being photographed, it is about the world that they occupy. It is as if their innermost thoughts have been tweezed to the surface and displayed as precious curios in a tiny observation room. Each photograph is a peak into a journal, a keepsake box, even a sealed psychiatric report. They display meticulously curated and displayed objects that create poignant situations that beg for closer inspection. If a viewer has a magnifying glass handy, each photograph is worth a keener inspection as even the tiniest details have been considered.
Lesur’s work is gentle and endearing. It is clear there is great affection for each scene being created and intense thought and planning has preceded each photo session. Despite this, his work is not without remorse or sadness. Each photograph seems to capture the truth of the moment – that regardless of a yearning for a perfect past or future, there is a cold reality that what is desired is often not what has or will transpire.
It is a gift that Julien Lesur can eloquently capture and cultivate the fleeting moments of life. He provides the tangible proof that even though memories and dreams are intangible and posses no monetary value, they are often the most valuable possession that a person may have."
Stacey Ransom
Production Designer / Producer
Purebred Productions
San Francsico, CA U.S.A.
----------------------------------------------------------
Purebred Productions
Dogged Perfection
436 N. Canal St. / Suite 7
South San Francisco, CA 94080