Interview with Frederic Martin Duchamp, Visual-Seeker.
- Supriya Pava
- Dec 13, 2023
- 5 min read
Frederic Martin Duchamp, a Visual Seeker, participated in this True Artist interview series. I discovered Frederic’s photos on Facebook; his black and white images elicited strong reactions from me, particularly the dance scenes and movement, seizing the “Presence and Flow.”
Frederic’s digital photos possess a unique quality that closely resembles film photos. Each image has a nostalgic and timeless quality that is hard to replicate. It feels closer to cinematography and cinema in general than photography.
Originally from the South of France, Frederic now lives in Auroville. I met him, got to know him, and witnessed how strongly linked he is to his space in South India. During our conversation, we delved into his philosophy, background, and emotional journey, which together form the foundation of his art. He expressed that photography is a spiritual affair, a way to connect with the world more profoundly and meaningfully
Where do you practice street photography in Europe or India?
Life and its paths are infinite, leaving many subjects to treat. Street photography can be challenging, especially when navigating legal and ethical boundaries. In France, where privacy laws are particularly stringent, street photographers often face legal disputes and controversies surrounding the right to capture candid moments in Public spaces. Despite these obstacles, Street photography continues to captivate me, driving me to find ways to document the ever-evolving human experiences on the streets. This highlights the delicate balance between respecting personal boundaries and the desire to capture authentic moments. Striking this balance allows for preserving genuine human experiences while being genuine and truthful in my vision.
In other cases, in some countries like Turkey and Morocco, you are stealing the soul of the people in the photo. Though this perspective may not be universally shared, when we photograph people on the streets, we are stealing their image, most of the time, without their consent. I am fully aware of this. But I know it’s not unhealthy. I’m comfortable depending on the moment; there is no trickery or malice on my part. I’m just keeping track of Human existence. It’s a lifecycle project for the wealth of the community and the history of humanity. It is also the future of communities, of its solidarity; it is nothing other than that.
But there is a paradise for street photography, and that is India. So why are we going amongst aggression in Europe and different Countries? In India, people like to be photographed and see photographs of themselves; it’s like falling into a cauldron bubbling with life. It is very interesting to see how another Culture is accepting street photography.
What is your approach to street photography?
The goal is to be one with the scene happening right in front and not affecting the people, breaking the archetype of a photographer and just being with the people. It is a journey to witness them expressing their own life without making an effect.
A photo is never “just a photo.” When you look at a photo, you reactivate, at the same time, in your imagination, all the photos you may have seen in the past or even visions from the future; it’s like a sort of library that emerges. Years ago, I was doing analog photography in Pondicherry; it was of a woman working on a construction site. She had four bricks balanced on her head, piled, her hand on the top of it. She was walking on the street, bringing the bricks from one point to another; I had never seen such a beauty. And this is to introduce my project, “Gender Equity.”
For me, Street photography in this way is so easy and so generous; you don’t have to fill in a paper or obtain authorization; you simply have to be present.
Tell us about your project “Gender Equity.”
Gender Equity is about Women and Men being treated fairly according to their needs and compensated proportionally for the historical and social disadvantages Women have faced. This project is an invitation to act together in Equal Harmony. I believe in an inclusive society and aim to achieve Human Unity. In one of the photos of this exhibition, a woman is on the side of the road in a village holding a hammer and breaking rocks on the side of the road to make a new road. And I know they redo the road every two years. They work in appalling conditions for less than the minimum wage, even when machinery to crush rocks is available. They crush rocks for weeks; when passing, I decided to capture a photo, and the photo series on Gender Equity arose from this one photograph.
But, it is not about condemning Indian culture because it is a Global issue. In Morocco and France, I found experiences and photographed them. It’s an ongoing story.
Share with us your experience of Performance photography, particularly Dance, which has become your specialty.
For many years, I’ve wished to invite dancers to participate in improvisation and creativity. That requires me to be in contact with the dancers. Collaboration with dancers is more accessible than with actors because actors are so intellectual too focused on their minds, and the body is not immediately connected. For example, I collaborated with a professional dancer, Sarvashan. We were in the Kalaripayattu, South Indian Martial Arts, long-term course. I also knew Ankita, who performs Kalaripayattu as a dance, and Sarvashan is a Bharatanatyam dancer, so I talked to them about creating something together.
We can encounter the three in this collaboration; we were complementary and compatible, but I didn’t direct them. I had experience working with Sarvashan; he performed in my show “Presence and Flow.’ During the photo session, I realized how rare it is to have this opportunity. We were sharing an intensity that was superfluous, and that’s why it is so beautiful to play with people who give in experimentation to do joint explorations. So I felt connected to them, and it’s all an energy exchange.
I love this moment between movements; it’s not exactly a ‘pause’; it’s like the feeling of a dream.
I witness the creation; when they are more fragile, that’s the thing of beauty for me. I don’t want to put my will in those moments, just an intention. If I am more present and not selfish, it could happen.
Why do you favor black and white photography?
In the 2000s, I was shooting analog, always with two cameras, each with a different film grade. I preferred the effects of 3200 or 6400 iso film; it was the grain! Black and white photography helps me immortalize the life events and my feelings, which are universal in their individuality. We can contemplate composition, grain, contrast, shapes, shadows, and so on, but there is something more substantial, more than just aesthetics, which is the essence.
How did your photography journey begin?
To communicate with my kids in a way different than speaking or showing. I was lucky to live in Provence where nature is open. Photography helped me to witness how life is beautiful. The cycles of life, and its ups and downs, witness the emergence of this undulance and contemplate the beauty of now. It began with flowers. What is the nature of a flower? It doesn’t know it will bloom and that it is beautiful. This purity exists in nature and humanity, this beauty that, if not contemplated, even if it is transient, can be captured in the camera. Photography is a beautiful gift given to me, which I give to my children.
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