Bio/Artist Statement
La Cigale, Nantes
I love photography for its richness. I was born and raised in France amongst a very artistic family, exposed to sculpting, painting and music from a very young age. Thanks to my parents, I traveled intensely, developing an acute curiosity for new cultures and horizons. I was also a bright student, which paved my way to the Grandes écoles. In 2002, I received my engineering diploma. This is also the year that I met my wife. As she is American, I moved there and we have been living in the New York area ever since, now with our baby daughter. I can say that my life has been rich in experiences so far. While I’ve had many passions, many were short-lived: I tend to give myself 100% into something, which slowly but surely depletes my interest in the subject. Photography is different. It combines art and science, technique and technology. There are so many types of photography that trying them all will make you dizzy. Mastering one may take you a lifetime. There is hardly a day that passes when I don’t learn something new about this medium.
An inspiration, my grandfather
I love photography for what it brought to me. Living in the States has been a difficult adjustment. Actually, I never really did, and plan to go back to my homeland. While my current life as an engineer is nowhere near dull, photography has been of tremendous help as a creative outlet. Whether I feel the need to make a statement, record a journey or simply share an experience, it really brings the best out of me, for which I am grateful.
A question that arises often is: what inspires you? It is both easy and difficult to answer. I’ve had great role models such as my parents and grand-parents, who have had a direct and positive influence on how I lead and see life. I am a critical thinker and tend to over analyze (why did I marry a therapist?), but also immensely enjoy things just for what they are. Everything, anything, can be a source of inspiration for me. It’s something that cannot be forced, it just happens.
There are many reasons why I fell in love with photography. If you can feel it while perusing through my pictures, this is my best reward.
Further reading:
Photog Friday: From France to New York – Jérôme Aoustin