Typically, I am late for everything and recently on my mad dash to get lunch I stumbled into the Samuel Owen Gallery. With absolutely no time to spare, I found myself mesmerized by the sleekness of some photography at the gallery. I knew the artwork would be perfect for a project I’m working on in Southampton.
From the gallery I learned the artist behind these fascinating images is Marc Harrold from Paris, France. To create his photos, Marc purposely overdevelops the images then selectively adds color back into the images. The photographs are back mounted with 1/4″ UV acrylic with an aluminum backing to hold them rigid. On the back of each photo is a cleat with a coordinating wall piece which allows the photo to rest flat against the wall. The resulting artwork appears to float over the wall.
Marc primarily photographs beach scenes in his native France. The wide spaces in his large-format prints combine with the brightness of the over-exposure, and prominent and sweeping horizon line, truly evoke the feeling of being at the beach with the sun in your eyes and feeling that you can see all the way to the edge of the world.
Later that day I actually had a meeting with my Southampton client and expressed my interest in the artwork of Marc’s I had seen earlier. She perked right up and said, “I saw the same thing!” and we both were totally excited like two 5 year old children!
Of his own work, Marc says, “‘I take photos of places at different times of the day, sometimes randomly, to emphasize the interaction between the light and the shade, the effect of time on the beauty of the instant. This way, probable or more unlikely encounters unveil the invisible from the visible. My photos are a reflection on the fickleness of people, of things. Signs that draw their way through light and shadow. Aestheticism is important to me to carry my thoughts and feelings. My work is not intended to carry any specific message, but rather to share an emotion that is magnified by the experience of the observer.”
It’s difficult to do this artwork any justice on a computer screen! To see more examples of Marc Harrold’s photography, including detailed images, visit Samuel Owen Gallery or look them up on Facebook.