The cycle « Une demi-seconde » presents an experiment.
« The exhibition ‘Une demi-seconde’ explains the only common rule: the duration of the exposure time. Everything else is open, variable, » explains the curator of the exhibition and director of GMU Roudnice nad Labem, Alena Potůčková.
« Franck Alasseur, during his studies, dedicated himself to painting, but ultimately, in his profession, he opted for the medium of photography. However, the pictorial foundation is evident in his work from the very first glance, » says Alena Potůčková.
The author himself speaks of the photographs in the cycle « Une demi-seconde » as an experience. « They touch the limits of what we see. Added to this is the recording of the movement of the observed reality and of myself. I try to move in the same direction; it resembles expressionist painting, but unlike expressionist painting, I cannot pre-insert anything, I work with total virtuality, I don’t know in advance what it will be, I can’t plan anything. »
The atmosphere is important. According to him, the environment in which the photo is taken is not important, but the atmosphere. It can be an urban or rural landscape, with people or without. The result cannot be calculated in advance.
« I use a black filter; I see absolutely nothing through the lens. I don’t know exactly what I’m photographing, and I can’t even focus. I am, in fact, completely blind; it’s like a darkroom without a tripod, » surprises the author when describing his method.
Emotion opens the doors of heaven. « In photography, in addition to color and movement, light obviously interests me. Without it, a photograph is not even a photograph. It’s also a matter of sensation. I am by no means a conceptual artist. Emotions interest me because emotion opens the doors of heaven. It’s more important than a sophisticated idea. »
Towards the photographic recording of movement. « Initially, I wanted to record body movement on video. I even won a ‘Movements in Light’ competition at the SaarLorLuxFilm festival in Saarbrücken in 2002 with this program. It gradually evolved into the photographic recording of movement. It is a process that evolved over time, made possible by new digital technology. Luck helped me ten years ago. I was photographing on a tripod, and it started to fall. When I later looked at the result, the movement was recorded. At the time, I wasn’t even aware of everything that could have resulted from it. However, it waited ten years to be used. »
About the philosophical dimension of the method. « In general, my method relates to the idea that we do not know and cannot know what will happen. Sometimes we futilely try to plan the future, but when we let things take their course, it happens differently, sometimes even better. Everyone is an artist; it just requires opening up to the world, perceiving actively. The humanistic approach is important. Like when you open a piano, only then can you play it. «