Photoshoot + Interview: 'Sur La Falaise' by Solène Ballesta
Paris-based Solène Ballesta’s photography has the breathtaking staging and mood of timeless art with a modern, playful twist – so much so that you’ll have to look twice to see if you’re staring at a photograph.
We just can’t take our eyes off her latest work. Sur la Falaise (On The Cliff) came about after Solene saw a photo of an abandoned studio in the French region of Normandy, where famous painters George Braque and Claude Monet once lived. Sur La Falaise follows a painter’s muse walking about amongst the frames, the canvas and the landscape. This shoot will attack you from all sides – part fashion, part painting, part snippet from a larger narrative.
Q: When did your love of photography first blossom?
A: I always had an interest for tales, costumes, cinema, theatre... I used to play with my father's camera when I was a child, counting stories with my brothers. And during my teenage years I discovered photography, that also allow me to stage scenes, but in a way closer to graphic art like painting or drawing – they were also a huge passion. And then costumes became fashion pieces, friends became models...
Q: What inspires your creativity the most?
A: Absolutely anything. It can be photographs, movies, paintings, but also a face, a garment, a place, a certain light...
Q: We love this stunning series! Please tell us about the experience you had planning and capturing this photoshoot?
A: This project starts from a friend's picture of an abandoned studio in Normandy. I had a love for this place, where George Braque and Monet lived, and after making walks and visiting a studio/museum in Giverny (that have actually really been visited by Cézanne, Renoir, Sisley, Rodin...), I contacted a team to realize a story around painters from the 19th and 20th century.
On the paths of this famous painters and places, the shoot has been captured twice: first outdoors, on the cliffs, and then on the studio. The images tell the story of a muse walking around the canvas, the landscapes, and the easels, as the subject of imaginary paintings.
Q: What does an average day in the life of Solène look like?
A: The delight of being a photographer is that there is no average day. But there are recurrent tasks that punctuate my daily life, like finding references (in exhibitions, museums, cinemas...), contacting models, stylists and make-up artists, or finding/making clothing and accessories myself, preparing the studio and set, and of course, the longest part: editing and retouching. I also, occasionally, get important orders that take lot of times, or prepare exhibitions.
Q: What do you hope to achieve with your photography career in the not-too-distant future; do you have any exciting, upcoming plans that you would like to share with us?
A: I dream of working abroad, in a gallery or a magazine, so I’ve started contacting people around the world. But for the moment plans are always in Paris! I'll be part of the Fotofever fair at the Caroussel du Louvre in November, and I'm preparing new projects for, I hope, a new personal exhibition at the gallery that represents me (the Micro Galerie in Paris). With photographer and artist friends, we're planning to create a collective, to increase our collaboration and get new ideas for exhibiting.
We’d like to thank Solene for sharing this insight into her artistic world – to keep tabs on her wonderful work, visit her online at her official site, or follow her on Facebook or Instagram.
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Full credits: Photographer: Solène Ballesta (@soleneballesta) | Stylist: Gaëlle Coz (@gaelle_coz) | Make Up and Hair Artist: Eden Tonda (@edentonda) | Model: Florence Rivières | Photographer Assistant: Theo Audoire
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Written by Celine Blackmore