Visions of Cities Without People
Lucie & Simon are a self-taught artistic duo living and working out of Paris, France. In their post-apocalyptic series entitled Silent World, the artists empty famous places in major metropolises like New York, Paris and Beijing. In each striking capture lies a symbolic character that brings a narrative feeling to the image.
The haunting photographs were created using a neutral density filter that allows for extra-long exposures, which removes moving objects like people and cars. Below you will find a small selection of this fascinating series. To see all 30 photos in large full-screen format, be sure to visit Lucie & Simon’s official site. There is also a 7-minute short film at the bottom of this post which sets the Silent World images to music. It certainly adds to the whole experience and is worth checking out.
Littered below you will also find various excerpts from interviews found on their website. Enjoy!
1. Times Square, New York City
2. Place de l’Opera, Paris
WHEN AND HOW DID YOU MEET AND DECIDE TO WORK TOGETHER?
We met in 2004 in a photo lab in Paris and became very close friends, sharing about our works and ideas, and ending up a few months later behind a single camera.
We work together since 6 years now mostly using photography, but also video and installations. We are just passionate about arts in general, whatever the means. [Source]
3. Tiananmen Square, Beijing
4. Columbus Circle, New York City
HOW DO YOU COLLABORATE WHEN YOU WORK ON A CERTAIN SERIES?
We discuss a lot about everything. First comes the idea of a series, we talk about the message, how to realise it, etc… Then we scout a lot, do some drawings together to prepare the images, and realise them. It is a long process, where each of us brings something to the other continuously. It is a very interesting process, everything is about the exchange, and we couldn’t work without each other anymore. [Source]
5. Queensboro Bridge, New York City
6. Courtyard of the Louvre, Paris
DO YOU HAVE ANY PHOTOGRAPHERS OR ARTISTS AMDIRE?
Our idol is August Sanders who captured with simplicity and like no one else people and landscapes of his time.
We also admire, Diane Arbus, or Lewis Hine, Philipp LLorca di Corcia, Andreas Gursky and Thomas Struth, Maurice Tabard for his poetic images, Hiroshi Sugimoto, or more recently people like Georges Rousse who work in the frontier between photography and installation. [Source]
7. Ring Roads, Beijing
8. Madison Square Garden, New York City
WHAT DOES PHOTOGRAPHY MEAN TO YOU?
What we love in Photography is the capability to explore various emotions and universes in a single image. It is frozen, and therefore terribly mysterious. We love mysterious and imaginary things. [Source]
9. Place de la Concorde, Paris
10. Xizhimen Ring Road, Beijing
11. Sixth Avenue, New York City
12. Place Montparnasse, Paris
https://vimeo.com/http://www.vimeo.com/30300939
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